


Firebird

by paellaplease



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Development, Elemental Magic, Enchanters don't exist in botw but i'm going to make you wish they did, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Found Family, Later Graphic Description of Self-Harm, Main character has a scar that is often mentioned and described in detail, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Revali is a dick as per usual but we're gonna work on that, Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Swearing, Worldbuilding, graphic depictions of pain, self-injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2020-06-30 03:32:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19844686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paellaplease/pseuds/paellaplease
Summary: 105 years before the hero’s resurrection, a young woman trained under ancient knowledge once forgotten- enchants her very first weapon. For the sake of research and in search of a warrior worthy to wield it, she is sent to Rito Village, immediately clashing with the local archer, Revali, a bird too prideful for his own good.Surviving deadly road-trips, sudden drops, and a hand bearing a Sheikah rune with a penchant for catching fire, she slowly begins to uncover the secrets behind who she once was and the old evil that lies asleep in the mountains beyond.





	1. Dagger and Arrow

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, welcome to my fic: Firebird. This is my love letter to the world and magic-technology of breath of the wild.
> 
> Props to revali’s VA for bringing such an interesting and compelling character to life, especially with the limited screen-time etc. I knew I wanted to write about him the moment he rocked up and started talking.
> 
> I do a lot of speculating in this fic re: elemental weapons and Sheikah, it can get confusing at times but bear with me. im a slut for world-building.
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy the ride.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there was anything she was completely positive about, it was that death wasn’t painless and enchanting hurt even worse

She had felt death before.

It was a white, hot pain. Racing through her veins and making her muscles stiffen and squeeze as if she'd been struck by lightning instead of stabbed by a sword. Sometimes in her dreams it starts in the tips of her fingers, others it begins as a heavy weight on her chest. 

All times it hurts and it lingers. Swirling in her abdomen, making her feel sick as she briefly registers that her head was spinning, and the world felt very, very far away. Slowly, the edges of her vision would creep in. The commotion and screaming around her fading away till it was nothing but dull chatter.

Eventually, there would be silence and darkness. The pain ended just about then.

Yes, she’d felt death before. Or at least the worst parts of it. However now, standing in the middle of the Akkala Forge and staring at the lone dagger that sat on its pedestal in the centre of the black marble table...

She realised that on days like these, enchanting sometimes felt worse than dying.

The task was simple enough. The same she was given each month after weeks spent in study and preparation, training both her mind and body before her mentor deemed her ready to perform the procedure. 

Enchant the blade, make it work.

Gently, she exhaled a long, tired breath, glancing at the rune in disdain. There it was, marring the surface of her hand like it always did. An ancient pattern carved deep into her skin like a raised scar. The shape that looked almost like an eye at its middle seemed to stare back at her.  _ What are you waiting for?  _ It seemed to say. 

The rune had been there for as long as she could remember. It was the one thing she had left of her past, and also the main thing that reminded her of what her purpose was right now. 

Every attempt she’d made on enchanting a weapon had ended in failure, some more spectacularly terrible than the last. However today, on the eve of her twenty-fourth birthday, she was determined. She’d studied even harder this year, dedicating much of her free time to observing the smiths, and the rest to visualising the procedure. Today was the day she was to complete what was set out for her.

Gritting her teeth, she focused on the target and fanned her palm open.

The weather in the forge immediately shifted, transitioning from a stagnant cold, to a thick blanket of humidity. It was stifling, heavy in the same way the air would feel in the moments before a storm. 

The energy lying dormant in her veins ignited like a spark, low pitched and buzzing, singing loud and clear in her ears.

Bracing herself, a familiar burning sensation raced from her outstretched palm to the rest of her body, making her bite her lip as she focused on not calling out from how much it  _ hurt _ .

The feeling worsened with every minute, the magical energy in her left hand pulsing to the beat of her racing heart. Carefully, she bent her ring finger inward, watching the rune illuminate in a blazing flash of blue light.

In an instant, jets of fire crawled up from the edges of the rune and into her five fingers, casting an eerie, orange glow on her pained face and making the air smell of charcoal. She pushed the fire further, the pain in turn worsening and making her head spin. 

Lines of fire raced out from her fingertips, wrapping themselves around the hilt of the dagger first and embedding themselves into the detail. The silver metal, now hot and red, began to melt and warp as the fire travelled up, searing a blazing trail into the metal of the knife.

Then came the worst part. Grimacing in anticipation, she grabbed the blade. 

The first time she had attempted the sealing stage, she had passed out in the workshop. It was the middle of winter then, five years ago. 

(She woke up the next day to the sterile chill of the village infirmary, sore as hell and smelling like a campfire.)

With time, she eventually learned to look past the spots that formed in her vision, fighting through the dull ache in her body and willing herself to stay awake. However, even with years of practice, her body wasn't fully immune to the procedure's effects.

She eventually discovered that at her level, her enchanting had a time limit:

Five minutes.

One. She closed her eyes and focused deeply on the blade, imagining the fire as she coaxed it to slither its way into the molecular structure of the dagger, willing it to wrap itself around the rapidly vibrating atoms like a snake in a birds nest. 

Two. With a shaking hand, she lifted the mallet she held in her other palm high into the sky, aligning it with the red star she had painted on the ceiling as a guide. Exhaling a gust of air, warm as oven smoke, she brought the mallet down, letting go of the blade in the same instant. 

Three. The black stone table she worked on shook lightly from the force. In contrast, the dagger she had just struck went immediately still. Steam began to lift from it, small flames licking its edges and casting the room in shadows. 

Four. She felt her focus waver, clutching her hand and falling to her knees-

_ Not yet! Not done yet!  _

A bead of sweat dripped from her forehead, seeming to evaporate before it hit the ground below. 

Five. She dropped the mallet, shakily rising to her feet and swiping the thick cream coloured cloth at the edge of the table, quickly wrapping the burning blade in the material and extinguishing the rising flames.

_ Release!  _ She ordered it, and the fire and burning in her veins were no more.

For a while, she stood there panting, clutching her shoulder as residual phantom pains echoed in her left hand. 

Swallowing her nausea, her right hand lifted the dagger to the dusty light filtering from the forge's window. She marvelled at how heavy it suddenly felt, the metal, whilst still hot, laying cold in her hands as if never kissed by flame in the first place. 

She had done it. Her first successful attempt amongst so many. 

"Congratulations, Maiya."

Maiya jumped, quickly whipping around to face the person standing behind her, still clutching the dagger. 

It was a tall woman, almost seven feet in height. She was wrapped in a dark cloak with light blue intricate designs laced into its sleeves and hood. Her bright, silver locks stood out amongst the darkness, cropped short and slicked back, her wrinkled face clear of distractions just as she likes it.

Seeing who it was, Maiya's face broke out in a large grin. "Teacher! How long were you standing there for? I did it! I finally did it!"

If she wasn't paying attention, she wouldn't have caught the brief, small smile that flashed across her mentor's face before it was replaced by her ever customary frown.

"I was here for long enough. You did well, my dear." 

Her mentor took a step forward, reaching out for the dagger with a black gloved hand. She peeled back the cloth slowly, revealing the enchanted blade underneath.

It was red. Bright red. With orange light glowing and racing its way from the hilt to the sharpened tip, embedding itself into the dagger's swirling detail and setting the dimly lit room alight. 

"It's time you find a master for this dagger."

Maiya opened her mouth, questions bubbling to the surface as her mentor continued. 

"Rito Village, in the upper north western corner of Hyrule, is where you will go."

"But why-"

"The land is filled to the brim with monsters made of ice and snow. The people there will benefit greatly from a warrior skilled in handling an enchanted blade of fire, no?"

At that, Maiya's mouth ran dry of complaints, her words evaporating in the heat of the workshop's air. It was no use arguing with her mentor at this point. But a lingering thought still hovered in her mind like a dark cloud.

"The land is quite far, teacher," she whispered, looking everywhere but the woman in front of her. She braced for a sharp reprimand for her obvious sign of childish weakness, and was surprised when none came.

"I understand, child. However, I believe it's time that you venture beyond the borders of this town and see for yourself the riches and diversity of the world around you." 

Her piercing grey eyes seemed to cut into Maiya's darker ones, distant and glassy. Seeing something she couldn't.

"An evil is building, my dear. And we must be ready. You learn nothing if you allow fear to dictate your freedom."

Maiya dropped her gaze to her hands. The rune, ugly and deep, cut through the tan skin on the surface of her left. It stood out, angry and red, contrasting greatly with the smooth, unmarked skin of her right. 

"What of my other element, Teacher? The one that I will carve into my right hand when I am ready?"

"It is ice, is it not?"

Maiya nodded.

"We will begin preparations once you return." Her wrinkled face twitched into a smirk. "Perhaps the environment will give you some ideas."

With that, her mentor put both hands on her student's shoulders, steering her away from the stone bench and leading her to the exit.

"You will be fine, Maiya. Now prepare, I will arrange a space for you in the next merchant trip to the region. Pack warm, you leave in three days."

  
  
  
  


Thud. The arrow embedded itself into the center of the target. Thud, thud, thud! Three more, dead centre again, each piercing through the previous arrows with deadly accuracy. 

Thud! Another, still in the centre of the target but slightly askew by a millimeter.

Revali frowned, wiping his brow and nocking another arrow onto his bow.  _ Not good enough. _

The forest outskirts a few hours from Rito Village was not his usual training spot. The wind was still fair, and the targets numerous (with hundreds of trees to choose from), but it still didn't pack the same challenge, the same dramatic drop, the same chilling and powerful air of his beloved Flight Range in the Hebra Mountains. 

However, today marked the culmination of months of training for several of their new aerial recruits, and said Flight Range was therefore currently swamped by excitable Rito's raring to get a few targets in before the sun set on the horizon. 

And as much as he would love to provide them with a generous demonstration on the highest level one can reach as a skilled archer such as himself, he didn't believe he had the patience to deal with any novices today.

So...the forests will have to do.

Thud! The arrow went, embedding itself again in the middle of the target and cutting through the three previous others with a bit more force than usual.

The blue-feathered Rito reached into his quiver, picking out and nocking three arrows in one fluid motion. The world around him sharpened, then blurred. Three painted trees for three arrows, his vision hyper fixating on the first, second, then the third.

One breath, another. Now. 

The first arrow sang through the forest, embedding itself into a target hanging from a tree to his left. The second, whizzed past a bit further, passing through the leaves and piercing the hidden bullseye that he had placed underneath the foliage.

The third arrow travelled the furthest. Revali aimed to hit one of the more difficult targets he had planted several meters away. The tree was an ancient oak with leaves mostly orange, swaying lightly in the chill autumn breeze. 

Revali's gaze sharpened. The arrow dipped and flew, dancing with the movement of the wind, quickly approaching the woman with dark hair that had just stepped in the way.

Wait.

What?

"Watch out!"

It all unfolded instantly. The Rito, in shock, slinging his bow over his shoulder and sprinting towards her, stopping to shield his eyes from the flash of a bright blue light. The woman, in a bizarre twist of luck and fate, hearing his voice and turning at the last minute, the arrow missing her head by an inch and cutting a diagonal line through her long, braided hair.

Silence reigned through the forest for a second. Then:

"WHAT THE FU-"

"YOU NEARLY KILL-"

The Rito stepped forward, pointing an accusing wing at the stranger. "Don't you dare voice a stupid accusation such as that, I had no intentions of harming you." He narrowed his eyes, suddenly feeling suspicious. It was rare to see Hylians frequenting this side of the woods, especially with the recent increase of monster activity and abundance of natural predators hiding in the thickets. 

Furthermore, although he doubted her involvement with the troublesome Yiga Clan, whose members have often been known to terrorize the odd lone traveler, he didn't want to take any chances. "What are you doing wandering the middle of the Tabantha wild? The next Hylian-managed town is more than an hour away."

He was surprised at the fury in her tone as she tilted her head up to snarl at him. "First of all, birdie, this forest is open to the public. No one owns these trees." He opened his mouth to bite out a seething retort, but she stepped forward, pushing a finger underneath his beak to snap it shut. He spluttered. 

"Second of all, I'm taking a shortcut. I've been travelling west for three bloody weeks and it has been absolute hell. I'm sleep deprived, hungry, and tired. And I'm in a hurry! So unless you know anything about a place called  _ ree-too _ Village, I'll be on my way." 

Revali glared. At least that clears a few things up. Were all Hylians this demanding and foolish, or was it just the ones Valoo above was adamant in acquainting him with?

He pushed away the offending finger and rolled his eyes.

"Firstly it's pronounced  _ ree-toe _ . Secondly," he said, mocking her manner of speech, "No. I don't know anything about the village of which I was hatched and spent most of my life and waking hours. Whatever led you to such a ridiculous notion?"

He raised an eyebrow, watching- bemused, as a dust of pink crept its way onto the haggard woman's cheeks. It was adorable, really. If only he wasn't so pissed.

He took her silence as his cue to continue. 

"I wasn't hatched yesterday. You're obviously lost. However, to avoid you waltzing into another unsuspecting warrior's weapon range, I suggest that you continue eastwards that way." 

His bow gleamed in the afternoon sunlight as he used it to point towards a structure which towered and peaked over the top of the trees. "See that stone pillar over there? That's Valoo's Spire, follow it and you will eventually reach the shore of Lake Totori. You will meet the Great Hylian Highway once again, and if you manage to follow it this time, the bridge to the village will be made apparent to you."

He smirked, crossing his wings and tilting his head. Amusingly, she was about a head shorter than him, and she had to lift her dark eyes to the sky to glare at him. "Got all that? Because if not, good luck as I am not the type to repeat myself to idiots who ignore my knowledgeable advice."

"Alright thanks, whatever," she sighed, grabbing an elastic from her pocket and pulling her now asymmetrical hair into a haphazard ponytail. She turned "Try not to kill anyone with that bow, Fly Boy," she called over her shoulder. 

A few strands of uneven, dark hair came free as she walked away. He couldn't help it. "A very creative haircut, Strange Hylian!"

"Oh shut up!" A shrill yell replied, echoing from the other end of the forest and scaring several birds from their perches. 

He squawked out a sharp laugh at that.

A few seconds passed and she was finally out of his line of vision. Revali of the Rito was happily alone once again. 

"What an unusual and infuriating woman," he muttered. He had been distracted and decided that now was a good time as any to take a few minutes to collect his discarded arrows and reset his targets.

Revali trudged towards the oak tree where the troublesome arrow was embedded, feeling slightly amused at the trail of shorn dark hair a few steps away.

He reached out towards the arrow, eyes widening in surprise as he stepped closer.

The once brown wood of the arrow shaft was an ashy, crumbling black. The bird feathers of its fletching emitted an unpleasant sulphurous odour, and the metal of its arrowhead was warped and melted like silver molten clay.

It was completely burnt. 

A strong wind blew through the trees, rustling through his feathers as he took a careful step back.

_ How odd. _


	2. The Chief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good news and bad news. Fate plots her course and laughs in her face.

The enchanted dagger hung heavy from inside its decorative scabbard as she ascended the multiple wooden steps taking her near the summit of Rito Village. Along with her backpack full of notes, books and supplies, she was also unnecessarily armed to the teeth, by her standards at least. 

_ Teacher carries twice this many weapons to a village picnic.  _

Maiya felt silly, listening to the dagger at her hip clank noisily alongside the sound of her other sheathed throwing knives. She felt more like a bag of metal than a mysterious enchanter from a land far away. The thought made her snort.

The young woman adjusted her now shoulder length hair, tucking it underneath her newly acquired bandana. She quietly mourned for its comforting weight when it used to hang long and healthy at her waist. Brushing it out in the morning was one of her few indulgences, and now with it gone she felt an uncomfortable gap in her usual routine.

The bandana was yellow and scratchy, but it was cheap and did the job in hiding her lopsided haircut.  _ This is your punishment for not paying attention to your surroundings. _

Maiya shrugged, clicking her tongue and clutching the railing at her side with a bit more force than necessary. There were more important things to worry about. 

_ It's just hair. _

Humming a cheerful old folk-song, she attempted to summon her final dredges of courage as the number of stairs left began to dwindle. She was nearing the top and getting closer to the Rito Chieftain's office.

As much as she hated to admit it, the near second brush with death had rattled her enough to have cost her sleep the night before. And she found herself more of a nervous wreck this lovely morning than she usually was. Comfy and plush the bed may have been at the Rito Stable, she spent the evening tossing and turning, plagued by night terrors.

For a moment, she thought it was the same nightmare she usually saw. Skeletons on horseback, metal clashing on metal. Voices, so many voices, calling out for her to  _ run _ .

However this time instead of a sword plunging into her gut as she turned away, it was an arrow, coated in blue feathers, soaring straight and true towards her, piercing her skull's soft flesh just between her eyes.

Maiya had awoken early that morning, finding it difficult to return to sleep. She packed her things and tipped the stablemaster, setting out for the village which blurred the lines between earth and sky, and reaching the connecting bridge by early afternoon.

Anxiously, she flexed her gloved left hand, willing the aching buzz of energy emanating from the rune underneath to recede. The soft glow seemed bluer, it's shine reminding her of the Rito she had met the day before. 

Not all travellers that passed by the forge at Akkala were sunshine and rainbows. Some were quite icy, or downright uncivil, her mentor not wasting any time to throw them out should they had overstayed their welcome. 

However...him.  _ What was his name again?  _ That Rito. He was rude, callous, and absolutely full of it. Which made his willingness to help her all the more suspicious and confusing. 

Maiya half expected the oversized bird to lead her towards a bokoblin camp in revenge to her interrupting his target practice. However, she was pleasantly surprised to find that his directions were indeed correct, and that she found herself back onto the Highway within hours instead of days. 

_ What a weird guy.  _

At her thoughts, her hand glowed brighter. Surprisingly, the usual accompanying pain felt dulled. Almost...non-existent. 

She glared at her left hand, pulsing like a blue beacon underneath her glove.  _ Hush _ , she thought. 

Another worrying memory gnawed at her brain as she climbed the final steps, clutching the railing to catch her breath. Back there, faced with the threat of imminent death, the rune on her hand reacted accordingly, reaching out to neutralize whatever threat was heading towards its host. 

In hindsight, the protective fire wouldn't have made it anyway, and the arrow would have killed her instantly. But the memory of a glowing blue light and the confusion she felt at a heavily feathered  _ something  _ running towards her still remained. 

Maiya grimaced, looking out at the bright, blue sky to her right. 'Helpful' as the Rito archer may have been, she wonders how friendly he would be if he finds out she nearly burnt him to a crisp.  _ Good riddance. I hope we never cross paths again. _

Three more steps, two, then one. She reached the entrance of the Chieftain's office. What was a light breeze from below was now a strong gust of wind at the summit, playing with the wisps of hair that had escaped her bandana and making her clutch her brown traveler's coat tighter as she suppressed a violent shiver. 

The outside of the hut was decorated with colourful silks and cloth, all printed with a white symbol of an oddly shaped half-circle with two wing-like geometric shapes fanning out from either side. She recognised it from her history classes with her mentor, the sacred Rito sigil. An emblem that had survived centuries of history. 

Along with the banners, shells and chimes were strung up and hung along sections of the hut. They danced merrily in the wind, creating soft music which worked well in reducing some of her nervous panic. She wondered where they came from, the shells in particular, some looked to be from mostly molluscs. 

Someone to her left just cleared their throat.

"Uh...Miss? Are you alright?"

Maiya blinked, shaking her head and turning to whoever just spoke. 

It was a Rito, clad in brown leather armour. He had piercing blue eyes, which stood out like two bright stars against the coal black of his plumage. The partisan spear gripped in his right wing, and the bright red sash with the Rito emblem secured neatly to his waist indicated that he was probably some sort of guard.

One second passed. Then another.

_ Oh dear. _

"I was staring off into space again wasn't I?"

Surprisingly, a small, shy smile graced the guard's severe stony face. "Perhaps," he said, shrugging awkwardly. "You looked like you were trying very hard to set that yellow cloth on fire with your mind."

Maiya let out a shaky laugh.  _ Yikes, bit too close to home, birdie.  _

"Sorry," she said. Rocking back on her heels and scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "Anxious habit, I guess I'm a bit nervous to meet your chieftain…"

"There's nothing to be nervous about." The guard smiled kindly. "Chief Kamori is a wise and just leader. He has been dedicating himself to our village since I was a chick." 

He quickly surveyed her appearance. Though his gaze was purely calculating, Maiya still felt a tad self-conscious as his eyes took in her worn coat and old leathers. The guard seemed to understand where some of her stress was coming from, beak quirking into a serene smile. "He worries little about formalities, Hylian guest, so do not feel concerned over not packing your finest silks and messing up your curtsey," he winked good-naturedly.

_ Thank Hylia _ .

The guard turned his head towards the Chieftain's hut, "I’ve watched him govern our great village for many years now. He treats all that meet him with respect and honesty." The Rito then stood to attention, stamping his staff on the ground and making Maiya jump.

"We only ask that you do the same."

Filled with new understanding, Maiya's shoulders relaxed. "That's a reasonable request to ask for," she smiled. 

She stepped forward to the cloth door, "Oh! By the way," she said. "My name is Maiya, what's yours?" 

"Talako," he said. "Protector of the Chief and Guardian to the peoples of Rito Village." 

"Thank you Talako, hope to see you around I guess?"

"I hope so too, Miss Maiya." 

And with that, she pulled the curtains back and stepped inside. 

The Chieftain's office was small and humble. Minimally decorated save for the large oak table which sat at the corner of the room. Glass lamps strung with carefully woven rope hung from the high ceiling, swinging lightly in the breeze. 

Tall windows surrounded her from all sides, all kept wide open as the cool Tabantha air danced and whistled through the room, carrying the sweet scent of flowers and fruit. Beyond was a stunning view of the snowy Hebra mountainside, with rolling hills and white capped peaks which disappeared into the clouds. 

Finally, in the middle of the room sat the Chieftain.

The Chief's eyes were kind. His right eye was a dark shade of green, the same colour of grass after rain in the lush fields of her hometown. It was relatively clear, unharmed, contrasting with the milky white of his left eye, a long, old scar running jagged across it.

He was a rather large Rito, widely built and towering over her by a fair margin. His brown feathers were fading to grey in his old age, with the ones that grew under his beak decorated with silver plates and beads, braided to resemble a three pointed beard. 

She’d never met a Chief before. Maiya didn’t know what she was expecting. Someone grander maybe? A throne instead of a rocking chair? But a part of her felt relieved. This Chief looked understanding, fair. He was dressed conservatively in simple cream clothes, the only splash of colour being a green scarf printed with the Rito emblem tied neatly around his neck. 

Maiya’s eyes continued to roam the room, noticing the tapestry that hung at the back wall. Shells and feathers were woven into the fabric, with splashes of beautiful colour laced into its intricate weaving and embroidery. 

It depicted a surprisingly wingless Rito, golden light surrounding them like a halo. They were dressed in a red and gold robe, which fanned out dramatically across the tapestry like a crashing wave. Flying down from the heavens to meet the flightless bird was a giant serpent like dragon. Its scales were the colour of wildfire, with outstretched claws that gripped and curled around a snow-white mountain. The Rito was reaching an arm up, as if to grab the bright star which rested in the beast’s gaping maw. 

It was beautiful.

The Chieftain held out a wing, "Hoo! Hello!" he gestured for her to step further into the room. "Come in, let me have a better look at you! These eyes aren't the same as they used to be, more a bat than a hawk unfortunately."

The leader of the Rito squinted his good eye at her as she approached, widening as she stepped into the light. The expression he had on his face was puzzling. Open, almost trusting. As if he recognised the person standing before him now. Which would be impossible as this was their first meeting. 

_ Stop overthinking.  _

"Hoo," he smiled, "Are you the young Maiya that Nisandrey has been telling me so much about?"

That caught her off-guard. It was rare that she ever heard her mentor's name spoken out loud. Let alone so casually by someone she's never met.

"Yes...that's me. Do you know my Teacher well?"

"Hmm," the Chieftain said, turning his head to the stack of letters on the oak table. One of them was still rolled open, her mentor's signature in the bottom in her favourite red ink.

"She and I have been friends for a very long time, young one." He breathed, voice as light as the wind around them. "She says that you are progressing well in your studies."

Maiya felt her ears go red, biting her tongue and clasping her hands behind her back to stop her from yelling out and fist pumping in the air.  _ HOLY SHIT! YES! Yeah! Woohoo- _

Instead.

She bowed her head bashfully. "Thank you, Chieftain. That is good to hear, especially coming from her." 

The wise Rito chuckled, "No need to be so humble, young Maiya." He then began to sit up slowly, minding his back as his talons touched the floor. "Where are my manners? I am Chief Kamori of the Rito Village. But you may just call me Kamori if you wish." 

He walked to the side of the room, pulling a chair towards his and gesturing to her with an open wing to take a seat. "It has been a long time since an Enchanter had stepped foot on this village." She thanked him and sat gently into the plush chair.  _ Rito furniture, there's just nothing else like it! _

"Hardly an Enchanter," Maiya said, relieving her shoulders from the weight of her travel pack. "I was granted the title just a moment before I left."

Kamori smiled, eyes far away. “Ancient tales say that to be called an Enchanter means to have endured years of hard-work and intense study.” Sadness seemed to mingle with his voice as he continued. “Regardless of when it was made official, you are what you are now, do not belittle the efforts which have brought you to this point.” 

She gazed down at her left hand, wondering to what extent her mentor revealed to Kamori of her abilities. Enchanting was a science as old as ancient history, but the methods she used were rather unconventional. Moreso magical even- an opinion Teacher would never agree with. If she focused hard enough, she could feel the active hum of energy running through the veins and nerves underneath the lines of her scar. The rune on her hand made everything easier, but the pain and fatigue that followed almost always trumped the allowances. 

Many evenings she wondered if it was truly her skill and knowledge aiding her, or the rune acting as a permanent crutch. She was happy with her accomplishment, she wouldn’t deny that, but making a point to constantly take credit felt  _ wrong _ somehow. Like she was cheating. 

Maiya's lips curved, bitter. Pride was never her forte anyway. 

A short pause settled between her and the Chief when she finally remembered why she was here in the first place.  _ Business now, self-deprecating internal rant later.  _ Quickly, she reached down to the enchanted dagger at her side, unbuckling the scabbard and presenting it to the Rito Chieftain. "It will not harm anyone while sheathed, but please still be careful not to touch it," she said. 

“There’s a defect I still need to work through. From what I gathered, the elemental energy infused within it is still tied to mine. Teacher believes the ancient masters met this issue as well in the beginning stages.” She frowned, shaking her head.  _ Don’t think he would appreciate a lecture _ . “The dagger burns all except for me, a powerful enchanter, and…"

"The warrior you deem worthy to wield it," Kamori finished, smiling knowingly. 

Maiya's shoulders dropped.  _ There it is. _ "Yes," she breathed. "And you probably know that's the reason why I am here."

"Hooo, you are correct child. Dear Nisandrey…"

Maiya shivered. Such an endearing term before such a terrifying woman's name was so unnatural.

"...has informed me of the details. You are very lucky, we have already named the village's most skilled archer and fighter a few years ago. During the time, Nisandrey was invited to survey our new line of lightweight armour and weaponry, but unfortunately she had to decline due to previously scheduled...appointments.” The way his voice rose and dipped at the word  _ appointments _ in a rough imitation of her mentor’s own accent made her laugh in surprise. Kamori sat back in his rocking chair, pleased. 

"I warn you enchanter, the Rito warrior is skilled, but young. He can be quite vocal of his achievements and I’ve been told this can be slightly off-putting at times,” He paused, deliberating over how he should salvage her opinion of their chosen after his quick admission. “However, he is inherently good of heart and extremely diligent. I'm sure you will both find a way to get along.”

A bell chimed in the distance, accompanied by the sound of flapping wings.

"Hoo! I believe that is him now."

Maiya stood from her seat, sheathing the dagger and turning to face the mysterious Rito that had just entered the room. 

"Welcome back home, Revali, Pride of the Rito."

Growing up, Maiya never really had much in the way of an extended family, or friends rather outside from the other smiths who frequented the workshop. 

Hence, she can't say she's ever had the honour of experiencing the specific, delicious concoction of embarrassment, anger, and surprise from being on the other end of a prank or practical joke. And for many years, she was happy to keep it that way. Till now.

_ This is a joke right.  _

Her eyes were wide. Scanning the newcomer in disbelief.

Jade anklets, blue feathers, a familiar scowling beak. 

_ Haha... _

_ I'm in danger. _

The chair behind her let out a loud  _ screech _ , and she belatedly realised that she was unconsciously backing away and towards the nearest exit, which in this case was a window opening up to an at least 30 story drop.

She could feel her heart galloping in her ears.

To make matters worse, in response to her panic, the rune underneath her glove started to glow once more, sizzling the leather. A trail of black smoke rose from the ruined material, making her predicament obvious even as she tried to hide her hand behind her back.

Across the room, the Rito known as  _ Revali _ stood, royal blue feathers ruffling as he slowly began to process who exactly he was looking at.

"What are  _ you  _ doing here?"

Maiya raised her smoking hand and waved awkwardly, "Uh...hello again."

_ 'Idiot! You big dumbass! What the hell was that?' _

_ I don't know I panicked! _

"Hooo," Kamori smiled, oblivious to the heavy cloud of animosity that now hovered over the two. "It seems you both already know each other. Excellent."


	3. Trust is a Double Edged Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule's Icarus is punished for his hubris.

He didn't have time for this.

"I don't understand what's gotten your feathers in a twist, so much as to resent my presence to this extent." Revali said, standing awkwardly by the doorway. He threw a quick glance behind him, wondering when Kamori was coming back. 

The young Hylian glared at him from her seat in the middle of the room, one hand submerged in a dinged-up bucket of water. The heat from her palm was causing the liquid to simmer, steam rising from the surface. Her pointed ears were turning red. 

"People generally don't respond kindly to the bird responsible for nearly murdering them."

Revali scowled.

He expected this to be over by now. Meet the enchanter, whatever that was, set a good impression, add “acquired blade of fire” to the sprawling list of accomplishments in his journal, and be home in time to prepare dinner. 

_ Nothing is ever easy, is it? _

He strolled past her, walking towards one of the bookshelves near the back wall and plucking a random tome from Kamori's collection. "Then perhaps now you'll think twice before you decide to carelessly trapsise through another forest."

Ah, if looks could kill. A loud  _ pop  _ and  _ fizzle  _ echoed in the room as the water in the bucket transitioned into a rolling boil. He rubbed a feather in the space between his eyes, exasperated.

Revali believed as one of the more well-travelled and seasoned warriors of the Rito tribe that he had seen his fair share of anomalies, many of which were unexplainable or untethered to the fundamental laws that the Goddess Nayru had blessed them with. Hyrule, with all its strange monsters, rotting treasures, and drab prophecies, was beginning to become rather predictable. 

He didn’t even blink when Chief Kamori summoned him to his office a few days prior, informing him that a young enchanter from the mountains of Akkala was en route to the village. With her, a dagger forged from the knowledge of the Sheikah and imbued with the gift of flame.

It had the ability to cut through the toughest of enemies with ease, he remembered Kamori explaining, and critically injure the ice monsters that usually frequented their neighbouring Hebra Highlands with little as a single blow. It was extraordinary, extremely powerful, and almost impossible to break. 

He stopped listening at the point the Chief began a speech as to how an alliance like this would be momentous for the village yes, yes, diplomacy and all that entails...It wasn't hard to grasp. Enchanters exist and one of the only two known alive today was on their way to give him a magic dagger. Done. Noted.

He had bigger fish to fry. His mind at the time sank, lifted, and flew, drifting to the various aerial techniques he had analyzed that morning, wondering despite all these new successes, if he was any closer to achieving a breakthrough. 

Unfortunately, fickle as fate was, the same scuffed Hylian that he had met yesterday was none other than the enchanter herself. Albeit, with less dirt on her face and far angrier than he expected. She stood there, gaping like a beached trout.

Then, a minute after he stepped into the room, her hand decided to burst into flame. 

Revali felt his composure careen into a wall. All manner of diction suddenly escaping him. His confusion manifesting as a simple, ill thought out statement. 

_ Well, that is certainly something you don’t see everyday.  _

Farore must have been smiling down upon them as nothing else in the wooden hut caught flame, save for the sacred tapestry which hung over the back wall, its fringe set alight.

The guard, Talako, flew into the room after detecting the scent of burning cloth from outside, managing to stamp out the flame with his talons. He didn’t seem as surprised, muttering “Knew she was trying to set fire to _ something _ ,” under his breath as the last of the flames went out. The damage was minimal, merely singeing some of the fibres and blackening the tassels, but the enchanter sure knew how to clear a room. 

Chief Kamori had immediately ordered Talako to scout the village for water to neutralize the woman’s flaming hand, before leaving the office himself with an excuse that he had to retrieve an item of importance. 

Which brings us back to the present: the enchanter’s hand in a bucket and Revali left behind with a rather hostile conversation partner. 

"See it this way." Revali called over his shoulder as he thumbed through a particularly dry recollection of  _ Tabantha Wheat and Why We Knead Them _ . "Keep this up, and perhaps you'll need to find another warrior worthy to take on your enchanted bucket."

“That’s not how it works!”

He looked at her. “Right, I forget that setting harmless objects on fire was rather essential to the task.” He detected the exact moment when anger shifted into resentful bitterness on the Hylian’s face as the words left his beak, the small whisper of grief in her eyes almost making him take it back.

The enchanter gritted her teeth. "You’re an asshole,” she growled. The water in the bucket sloshed. “But that’s not the only reason why you aren’t worthy. I’m not sure if you and your Chief fully understand, but it is more than my opinion that matters. You just don’t feel,” she scratched the back of her neck in frustration, “you just don’t feel  _ right _ !” Goddesses preserve him. “I know this dagger will reject you in an instant.” 

With that she stood up, adjusting the yellow bandana on her head with a small sigh. The woman removed her hand from the bucket, using the edge of her grey tunic to dry it. She glanced up and seemed to flinch from the judgement in his eyes, tearing her gaze away and choosing to look upon the burnt tapestry instead.

They stood in silence for a few minutes, the only sound being the ambient noise of the village below, idle chatter and a child’s laugh carried upward by the wind. He flipped a page in his book. So forces beyond her own were at play here, yet she was able to discern his unworthiness based on her own subjective feeling.  _ What does that even mean? _

Revali briefly caught the thick line of scar tissue running across the top of her hand before it was hidden from him by the confines of charred leather. The enchanter fiddled with the button of her ruined glove, giving up and lifting her pack with a defeated grunt. 

She shook her head. "I should go. I don't want to waste your village and Chief Kamori’s time any longer," she said, voice quiet. 

He opened his mouth, mocking reply at the ready, when the bells chimed from outside, the sound of heavy talons clicking across the floorboards. The presence of another person in the room caused Revali and the Hylian to startle, turning their heads to the doorway. 

Master Kamori had returned, downy grey feathers rustling as he ducked under a low hanging beam, gripping an object in one of his wings. "Hoo! Forgive me, that took longer than expected. Brazen Beak was uncharacteristically busy at this time of day.” 

He tilted his head when he spotted the woman with her pack slung behind her, expression rather regretful. 

“Do not worry yourself, young enchanter," the Chief said to the Hylian. "Your presence here inconveniences no one." Evidently, he had heard what she’d said earlier. One would suspect his Chief for eavesdropping, but Revali knew the bird had exemplary hearing ever since his injury. 

The enchanter opened her mouth, no doubt ready to protest, but Kamori calmly stopped her by holding out a wing. A small object he couldn’t quite see rested in his palm. 

"A gift," he smiled at her questioning look. 

Chief Kamori unfurled his feathered appendages, revealing what was a tan, leather glove. “Tabantha moose leather, sturdy, but enough aeration to avoid your fiery hand from overheating.” The Rito sigil was stitched into its surface. Unscratched and unmarred, it was of Rito make but for Hylian hands.  _ Inara’s doing, probably,  _ Revali thought.  _ The man always had a soft spot for tourists.  _

"Thank you," the enchanter’s voice was slow, cautious. "How much is it?"

"Free," Kamori laughed. "Hoo! As all gifts are. It is to replace your old one."

The woman froze in place. She stared at the glove as if it were a stone pebblit about to sprout arms and break her nose with a well-timed rock hurl. Revali's frown deepened from behind his book, noticing how the Hylian's hands lightly shook as her eyes flicked from the glove, to the tapestry behind them, then back up to the Chief _.  _ Several emotions crossed her face. 

_ Valoo’s Crooked Teeth just accept it already! _

As if in hearing his thoughts, in a flurry of sudden movement the enchanter whipped around to face him, so fast he wondered if she cracked her neck. He felt her glare rather than saw it, sharp as the row of throwing knives strapped to her chest. The temperature in the room began to shift. 

Nonplussed, he continued to read, feeling not a single ounce of concern.  _ Was it always this humid? _

“One feather.” She said. 

Revali didn’t let a second pass. “Kindly clarify that statement?” he started, still not looking at her. “Are you referring to my feathers? Chief Kamori’s? Or perhaps even the ones decorating the rafters outside. I’ll be sure to ask the hatchlings during the next molt-”

_ Shwing! _

The unmistakable sound of a blade sliding from its sheath met his ears, grabbing his attention and making him look up with a raised brow. 

There she stood, facing him completely, expression of intense determination. The enchanted dagger was held tight in her gloved hand, blade exposed to the free air, already emitting a low hum and heat which filled the room and dissipated the surrounding chill. 

She was surprisingly deft in handling it- the dagger he meant, not her expression. Gloved fingers danced around the hilt as she spun the knife, turning the sharp end to face her while its handle pointed to his beak. She began to cross the room.

“I’ll permit the dagger to pass judgement onto you, Pride of the Rito." The way she enounced his title was no different to how one would sound after eating something particularly repulsive. It made his anger flare, but he was quick to taper it as he caught Kamori’s warning expression. 

The enchanter stood before him now, close enough that he could smell the burnt leather again. "However! You may only touch it with a single feather. I may be its maker but," she hesitated, worry flashing across her eyes before it was quickly overtaken by her steely gaze once again. "I don’t know exactly what will happen should it reject you." 

Revali snapped the book he was holding shut, placing it back into its place on the shelf. Without a second thought, he extended a wing out, filled to the brim with confidence. 

The dagger was exquisite, blistering orange and as red as war. A low, humming energy surrounded it, encasing the blade like an invisible shield. A cloud moved to cover the sun as he reached, filling the room in momentary shadow. Like sunlight on fractured glass, the visible elemental energy from beneath the knife’s surface cast splintered warm lights on the wooden walls and floorboards. It illuminated the enchanter’s face, emphasising the lift of her cheekbones and the burnt umber of her eyes in a way he hadn’t seen earlier. Revali reined in his focus, quickly discarding the thought. 

The buzzing in his ears increased as his wing edged closer. He could then actually  _ feel _ the energy surrounding. It repelled his outstretched feathers away like a magnet would to its like pole. A warning. 

It did little to deter him. If anything, it more so irritated and prompted his insistence. So he pushed further, the invisible barrier relenting and parting ironically like water, around the end of one of his blue feathers. He reached out and brushed the dagger’s pommel. 

Nothing happened. 

Revali smirked. “Are Hylians always of such little faith? Or is it just you- **_argh!”_ **

The low hum once a benign annoyance in his ear increased in volume to become a grating, monstrous roar. As this happened, a burning sensation began from his outstretched feather, and raced up the length of his wing and shoulder, making him reel back in pain. He felt dizzy, the room blurring and spinning. Like his nerves were suddenly set alight. It was excruciating. 

Immediately, the dagger was stashed away. Someone in front of him gasped and Revali felt gentle, shaking hands reach for his wing. It was the enchanter. He quickly backed away. “I’m fine,” he hissed. 

Revali took two deep breaths, then straightened up. He willed himself to relax, noting with displeasure at how some of his feathers stood on end.  _ Damn it all.  _ He scanned his wing for any damage, flexing his primaries to assess for changes in his range of movement. 

As expected, he was relatively unharmed. Everything looked to be where it should, all except for a single feather. The one that made contact with the blade, singed black and as fragile as ash. 

Feeling another pair of eyes on him, other than that of the enchanter who had now resorted to bumbling apologies as she tried to glimpse at the damage on his wing, Revali nodded, signalling to the Chief that he was alright. Kamori was wise enough to know that it would take greater things to phase him, but having been taught by the old Rito for most of his life, it was easy for Revali to tell that he was worried.  _ No matter how aggravatingly calm the old man appears to be.  _

Revali ignored the panicked woman in front of him, reaching for the dagger. “It’s nothing serious. Let me try again.”   
  


“No!” 

The Hylian shook her head, shouldering her pack and backing away. Her eyes were wide as a frightened mountain doe _.  _ "I'm sorry Chief Kamori. I can't stay. I know Teacher won’t be happy but I don’t deserve your kindness. After all the patience you've shown me even though I burned-"

"The winter solstice." The Chief said.

"What?"

Two pairs of eyes were upon him.

Revali noticed belatedly that he and the Hylian had spoken at the same time. "Go on," he grumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Kamori flashed him a warning glance, directing his attention back to the woman. "Stay until the winter solstice," he repeated, gesturing to the land outside the many windows and to the village below. "That is all I ask. You have travelled all this way, my conscience cannot rest if you were to leave now without taking time to recuperate and collect supplies for the journey ahead of you."

_ The winter solstice _ , Revali repeated in his head. That was in a month. Two weeks was generally enough time for someone to rest, restock and recuperate. A month was more, if not plenty. He leaned against the bookshelf, eyes trained to the Chief and enchanter. He narrowed his eyes.  _ What are you playing at, Master Kamori? _

“Here.” From the corner of his eye, Revali could see Kamori holding the new glove out once more to the Hylian woman. This time, the old Rito placed a comforting wing on her shoulder, making the enchanter jump as she peered up. 

“I will send news to Nisandrey. And do not worry yourself, no mention of what occured with the tapestry will leave this hut.” 

The Chief smiled down at her encouragingly, as a grandfather would to a fledgling before its first flight. "Perhaps you'll find another warrior to take on this dagger in that time," Kamori said, voice light in an attempt to ease the low mood of the room. "Hooo! Or maybe you'll even find a way to forgive Young Revali for his previous transgressions. Although I’m still unsure of what exactly occurred in your first meeting, perhaps another time..."

Revali lifted his head from the sound of his name, guessing from the Hylian's expression that "don't hold your breath" was a unanimous thought shared by the both of them. 

_ At least we are in agreeance of one thing.  _

The enchanter was quiet for a moment. 

"Alright," she said after a breath. The Hylian accepted the glove with unnecessary gentleness and placed it in one of her coat pockets. “I will."

"Hooo! Splendid." Kamori grinned.

“But if this,” she pointed to the rune, “and this,” she pointed to her dagger, “cause any more issues, I will understand if you want me gone from this village sooner than what was agreed upon.”

“I don’t believe it will come to that, but I will keep it in mind, child.” 

"Thank you, Kamori. For the glove and for…," she stuttered. She looked at Revali, fumbling through an apology "Sorry about your…," she gestured awkwardly.

“It’s nothing,” he said, perhaps too acerbically as she took a small step back. 

"All is forgiven,” the Chief replied. “However, I will be honest in that I am exercising more caution in handling this matter from here on out, enchanter. It is unfortunate but we are lucky it was but a single feather." 

The Chief waved a wing at the tapestry as if to dispel the heavy mood weighing down the air. "Let us put this behind us. And if it’s the tapestry you are worried about, I’m sure that the Divine Valoo is pleased that his fire has managed to jump so well from the page. Hoo, it looks very realistic now doesn't it?"

"The scent very much so," Revali muttered. 

His eyes strayed to the windows again, noting how high the sun still sat in the sky. It was past noon, but enough daylight left for him to complete most of his training regiment and errands. He still had some time left to muster some productivity and make up for this interruption. 

He felt someone watching him. Revali looked down, noticing that the Hylian was looking at him, brown eyes dark as murky pools of water.  _ Two can play at that game _ . He stared back at her with equal attention, cocking his head to the side. 

She was first to speak. "We've met before but I don't think I've ever told you my name."

"No," he said, "I don't think you have."

"Maiya."

"Revali."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Revali." As she said this, she carefully removed the ruined glove from her left hand. She paused in her movements, remembering what had just transpired a few minutes ago, sighed and shook her head.

After a minute of deliberation, she surprised him by extending her left palm to him anyway, all five fingers flat and pointed to the sky. Inwardly, Revali smirked.  _ How formal of you, Enchanter.  _

He stared at her outstretched hand for a second, the rune at its top glowing as if in challenge. Tentatively, he held out his wing, minding the burnt primary as his feathered appendages positioned themselves in a way to mirror hers. 

As his wing met the flat of her palm, he was surprised to feel no sting, but only warmth. As if he held a heated stone once plunged into a fire, whose hot embers had now since burned away. Her bare fingers met the blue of his feathers, rough and calloused, joining them in what was the traditional Hyrulean greeting. 

"Likewise, Maiya." He said despite himself. 

It may have been a trick of the light, but a part of him couldn't help but notice how her hand seemed to glow a fraction brighter as he spoke her name. 

Revali was not one to do things by halves. He was sure of his strength just as he was sure of the sun rising in the east every morning. He wasn't blessed by any cosmic being with powers beyond that of nature's laws. No divine goddess had bestowed upon him a task which required him to be the best of his kin. He simply was and will be. And if he had to prove himself to cement his title, even to a glorified knife of all things, then so be it.

He'll show her what a true, worthy warrior looks like. 


	4. Seeker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look for the truth where the past has buried it.

After exchanging a few more words with Kamori about her extended stay, the meeting concluded. Maiya bowed politely, bidding the two Ritos goodbye. Before she left, Kamori stopped her at the door, pressing an envelope to her hand. “Follow the address in this letter, my dear. The innkeeper there will take care of the rest. Winds be fair to you, hoo.” 

Maiya returned his smile, touched at his grandfatherly kindness. Her eyes briefly lingered on Revali's burnt feather before she turned away, the guilt she felt at indirectly hurting him still caught in her throat. 

She avoided Talako’s wary gaze as she stepped out of the hut, not wasting any time in making a hasty exit. One foot after another, careful not to trip, she descended the many village stairs. 

The young Enchanter released the breath she was holding as she cleared two levels. “So that happened,” She said aloud. The anxiety was creeping back in. Her heart felt like a butcher’s mallet.  _ Thump! Thump! Thump!  _ If her chest was a piece of meat, it would be well tenderised by now.

First order of business. She needed paper and a messenger pigeon-person-thing...Whatever they used in this village. Chief Kamori already assured her that a missive would be sent to her mentor’s private letter box first thing tomorrow morning explaining the whole situation. However, she knew that she  _ needed _ to write to her mentor separately. Relaying whatever she can in great detail was of utmost importance if she wanted even a smidgen of a chance of surviving the Sheikah’s ire. 

_ Calm...calm. I am calm.  _

Teacher was going to  _ kill  _ her!

Round and down she went, lost in her thoughts but aware enough to dodge around a yellow Rito child that was playing tag along the railing. Opening the note, she followed the address written at the top in Kamori’s cursive.  _ That’s a lot of levels down _ . Nodding to herself, she increased her walking speed, making her way towards her accomodations for the next few weeks. 

The inn was located only a floor above the village’s main entrance, making it one of the first things travellers would see when they arrived. Like most structures situated around Valoo’s Spire, a flat platform jutted out from its doors, connecting the main arterial staircase to the wooden, circular, double-story building that was Rito Village’s one and only inn.

The building exterior was painted a deep red, with white curtains billowing from its many open windows. Planter boxes were hung up along the railings of the second floor, pink daphnes and other winter blooms peeking from their containers. 

Another staircase, though this time shorter and much more narrow with steps worn from years of use, ran flush along the inn’s side. Maiya theorised that it supposedly gave customers a means of accessing their rooms without having to pass through the reception area. That said, she was unpleasantly surprised to find that whilst most rooms were situated at the building’s second floor, the inn still offered beds on the first. In its lobby. 

_... _

_ What? _

Eyebrow raised at the arrangement, Maiya tiptoed past sleeping travellers and made her way to the front desk. Tourist season must be in full swing, with most of the beds filled and a small sign above the front desk announcing a limited vacancy. A customer’s snores echoed from the corner. 

_ This is, um, unpleasant.  _ She thought.  _ But arguably not as bad as when Uncle Rohan had to crash at the forge after he and Teacher had too much to drink.  _ Maiya grimaced at the memory.  _ That Goron blacksmith’s snores were loud enough to wake Death Mountain...but I still wouldn’t complain if this place offers earbuds. _

A burgundy Rito with a short side braid and golden hooped earrings smiled sunnily as she approached. “Welcome to Swallow’s Roost,” she whispered. 

Maiya mumbled a shy ‘hello’ back. She set her pack down and fished out her identification papers and coin purse. A leaf flew out of her open wallet.  _ Oh damn.  _ It was then that the Hylian realised, with much embarrassment, just how filthy she was from weeks of travel. The quick wash at the stables that morning took care of most of the grime, but her travel pack was still covered in mud and leaves. From the moment she entered the inn, she was already tracking dirt on the massive blue circular rug that covered most of the wooden flooring. 

_ I am the queen of good first impressions.  _

“I would like to book one of your beds until the Winter Solstice, please.” Maiya said, glancing at an open bed warily, noting the thin divider between it and the traveller sleeping a few steps away. 

“Not a problem, but you won’t be placed in any of the ones down here, that is, unless you really want to,” The innkeeper said. She giggled at Maiya’s confused expression. “My apologies, let me clarify. These beds are reserved for single day travellers.”

From out of nowhere, the innkeeper pulled out a graph. It was framed, hitting the table with a dull  _ thud _ . She grabbed a piece of charcoal to the side and pointed to a random line. “See here?” Maiya nodded, not sure what she was seeing. “We noticed that many visitors of our village have been on the road for quite a while and simply needed a place to rest for a few hours. By implementing this we’ve Roost Boosted our business by 15%!” The Rito grinned proudly. “It’s our solution for the short-stay traveller without breaking the bank!”

Not one to be rude, Maiya replied. “That makes sense.”  _ So I’m not sleeping in the lobby? Nice. _

The innkeeper didn’t even try to hold back an amused laugh at Maiya’s expression. “Ha! Relieved now, aren’t you? You’re adorable. My name is Cheska by the way, owner of this lovely establishment. I’m guessing you’re also on the search for a warm bath and a good meal?”

“And the softest bed you got,” Maiya said, recalling the difficult evening she had the night before.

“You’re at the right place, have you heard of our world famous Rito down-beds? Of course you have. Let’s sort you out!”

  
  
  
  


The room was sparsely decorated in a cosy sort of way. The place was free of knick-knacks or paintings, and it soon became obvious that everything there  _ was _ there for a purpose. 

On the right was a double bed and a wooden chest sitting at its foot- open, unlocked and empty. Opposite this, to the far left of the room, was a small fireplace. Stocked with logs, it was ready to be lit to ward against the later evening chill. 

Maiya pulled the cloth door further, stepping over the threshold. On the wall directly across from her was a window. The surrounding waters of Lake Totori and the leafy green Tabantha forests were visible from within its four corners. To Maiya's relief a writing desk was positioned beneath it, paper, inkwell and quill already supplied. Her mentor wouldn't have to wait too long for a response. 

The place felt untouched, as if frozen in time since the last tenant vacated. She liked it. It smelt like honey and sage. 

“Forgive us for the dust,” she heard Cheska say. The Rito swiped a few feathers on the top of the window sill, frowning at the dirt that came off it. “It has been a while since anyone’s set foot into this room. Would have offered one of our vacant newer ones too, but Chief Kamori suggested in the note that you could stay here.” 

“Where’s the original owner?” Maiya asked. 

“They left many years ago, when I was just a chick. Mama was the innkeeper at that time as I was still too young to learn the ropes.” Cheska tilted her head, earrings glinting. “I can’t really remember their face, but my ma described them as always a bit intense. 'Too many eggs in one basket makes a person go crazy, Ches!’ She would say. Whatever that means.” The Rito wiped her wing on her apron. “Wonder if that’s why they left, huh?” 

Maiya racked her brain for something to say, “Uh…”

“Anywho! Communal baths are a Spire floor up. Complimentary soap from the front desk will be handed out if you remember to cheer 'Swallows Roost Boost!' Oh! And clap twice. Don't forget that. That's very important."

She felt a headache creeping up. "Is it really?"

"Nope." Cheska grinned. "But it’d still be a good idea to have a wash before you knock-out for the day. Sorry to say it,  _ hylianlla _ , but you stink!"

  
  
  


The young Enchanter worked quickly to acclimate herself to her new surroundings. Whilst this was the first time she’d travelled so far outside Akkala, she knew it would be smart to be curious and observant. Everyone had their patterns, and the Ritos were no exception to this. Much like it did with enchanting, figuring out how things worked early around these parts was going to do her a lot of good in the long run. And not making a fool of herself by missing simple social cues was always a plus. 

Day one was when Maiya realised that Rito Village rose before the sun. The smell of freshly baked bread and the sounds of haggling at the markets began as early as the crack of dawn. Sitting on the railing just outside her room and picking apart her mandarin, she also found that some fruits tasted better here. 

She swung her feet. The cool mountain breeze and view were enough to brave the drop, and she surprisingly found herself at relative peace as she finished her meagre breakfast. It was a big change from earlier that morning. 

Maiya had awoken before first light, bleary eyed from another nightmare she couldn’t quite remember. Walking outside to catch her breath, she spotted a squadron of warrior Ritos flying overhead in the early twilight. She’d nearly called out and waved to them, doubtful that they would hear her anyway, but thought better of it when she caught the familiar sight of blue amongst their ranks.

The Hylian exhaled, tilting her face to the warming sunlight. Watching the sky now, about three hours afterwards, she saw a dull orange Rito depart from one of the upper floors, flying in the same direction towards the mountains. She wondered if they were a warrior too.

She bit into her fruit, chewing somberly. A warrior. She was supposed to find a worthy warrior. But how could she now when the dagger rejects one of the best fighters this village could offer? 

_ Perhaps I have to look harder.  _

Maiya closed her eyes, the rune on her hand aching. "Where do I even start?"

On the list of tasks to complete whilst she was here, another began to weigh heavily on her mind. She remembered that Teacher said this was her opportunity to gather more information for her studies. Where books on Ancient Weaponry were limited, tomes on Enchanting were extremely rare. Most were burned, buried or lost to time when the Sheikah were subdued 10,000 years ago. 

Enduring information survived in bits and pieces, some being handed down by word-of-mouth through stories and secrets. Whilst this worked to protect knowledge, it made finding consistent techniques difficult. And with all known Enchanters aside from her and Teacher either lost, dead, or in hiding, finding instruction beyond her mentor’s library and her mentor herself felt almost impossible.

Feeling hopeless, Maiya stared at the new glove which covered her left hand, lifting it so that the eye-shaped scar underneath would be at level with her own. The rune was quieter today. She turned her hand, examining the neat seams at its sides and the small tufts of feathers which cushioned her palm. The fit was perfect. She wondered how much study and practice it would take to make something this good. 

A memory of one of her Teacher’s lectures came to mind. 

_ “Most Enchanters encountered in legend are Sheikah, however this does not mean that they are the only beings with an aptitude to enchant. _ ” Her mentor’s voice echoed in her head. She could visualise the moment easily, see the tall woman in a dark hood pace the room, her long pendant of a weeping eye lightly swinging.

_ “In fact, were it not for the Goron People in Eldin and the teachings they kept of their late-Enchanters, I would have never fully mastered the flame for my first weapon. Hence, I would have never become Enchanter were it not for me seeking their guidance. We are nothing without the teachings of others.” _

“I am nothing without the teachings of others.” Maiya repeated, words eaten up by the cloudless sky. 

All of Teacher’s old books said that the Hebra Highlands were the original birthplace of ice enchantments. Rito Village, with its close proximity and history of keeping physical records, was her best bet in finding actual information regarding Ice Enchanting or even runes if she were lucky. She needed  _ something _ , whether it be a book or an old myth. Anything to lead her in the right direction for her research. And she had no idea where to start.

_ Questions, questions… _

“Why so glum,  _ hylianlla? _ ” 

“Shit!” Maiya jumped, dropping her fruit, she tipped forward, body seconds from falling into the waters below.

“Woops! Hold on there.” A wing reached to grab the collar of her jacket, pulling her backwards.

The young woman fell onto the wooden decking behind her. She groaned, rubbing her back as she rolled and stood up gingerly. Familiar burgundy feathers, braids, and now silver triangular earrings met her gaze. “Good morning Cheska, nice earrings. Please don’t do that again.”

The Rito looked slightly apologetic, tossing her mop’s handle from one wing to another. “I’m sorry for that, you see I was just cleaning out the room next door- terrible stuff really, the man left a smell that you can’t just scrub out- when I saw you sitting here all sad looking and lonesome.” She looked a bit bashful. “I was going to leave you to your thoughts, but then you said something ominous out loud and my curiosity got the best of me.”

_ Note to self, don’t repeat Teacher’s top ten quotes in public.  _

Cheska continued, “Were you thinking hard? I don’t think you blinked once. You looked like you were trying to set something on fire with your eyes.”

Maiya laughed dryly. “Would you believe me if I said you were not the first one to tell me this?” 

The Rito’s curious teal eyes seemed to gleam even brighter. Those apparently were the wrong words to say if she wanted the feathered woman to leave. If she didn’t before, Maiya well and truly had Cheska’s attention now. 

The innkeeper placed the mop she was holding to the side, and with a flap of her wings was over the railing and seated next to Maiya as if she’d been there the whole time. “Alright! What ails you on this fine morning, little traveller?”

Maiya sighed.  _ Might as well _ . “Is there a place here that stores information?” 

“Depends,” Cheska said, holding up three feathers, lowering them with each suggestion as she ticked off a mental checklist. “Fifth floor we have a library for general stuff. Cookbooks, numeracy and literacy texts, some basic readings on science. The elders use it as a resource in the syllabus for the young’uns.” 

“If you want some political and business advice, or a long winded talk on our current economics, then ask Chief Kamori how his day is going. Don’t get me wrong, I love our fearless leader, but he needs to get out more.” 

“How about old information? Like old history?” Maiya tried. 

“Old history, huh?” Cheska went quiet for a moment, looking at the final feather she held up. “Then you should definitely see Honoka in the Archives. She knows heaps about old teachings. More than anyone else in our little _ llaqta _ . Got a whole collection on dead languages and legends not even Old Man Yieni would tell- not that he does much storytelling anymore but I digress!” 

_ Sounds promising _ . Maiya smiled. “I think that’s it, Cheska.” 

“Is it really? Oh, I’m happy to have helped. It’s the fourth level from the top by the way! Might be a difficult climb, for a Hylian I mean. A lot of stairs. Don’t get too winded on your way up. Take your time.” She pushed off the railing, flapping her wings and hovering in the air. “You don’t owe me anything by the way. Just maybe let me know if you find something interesting. Actually, definitely let me know if you find something interesting.” 

“You’ll be one of the first,” Maiya said, pushing off from the railing she was leaning on. “Thank you, Cheska. For the help and the directions.” 

“Not to worry, Miss Maiya!” She did a somersault in the air, and dipped down past her sight. A few seconds later she resurfaced, picking up her mop and buckets with her talons. “Oops forgot these! The things a girl would do to get some good gossip around here. Good luck,  _ hylianlla! _ You’ll need it! _ ” _

  
  
  
  


Maiya took Cheska’s advice, ascending the spire whilst taking time to enjoy the village with a more wakeful and less anxious mind than the one she had yesterday. A range of colourful shops and little wooden houses were found on every level. It was refreshing to see how open everything was. Doors were mostly long pieces of cloth, rolled up to air out the home and let the wind in. Children ran to and fro, some who were old enough to fly zipping around the clotheslines. There was so much laughter in the air. Their elders sat and gossiped on the front porch, a few leaning out their windows or resting in their rocking chairs. 

It was loud, full of energy, and Maiya loved it. 

_ There’s an antique store on this level. The pottery is so beautifully shaped! Are those little clay wings? _

_ A jewellry shop. The fine details are so exquisite! I wonder how they got the metal to bend like that without snapping? _

_ A tavern! I’ve never been to a tavern before!  _

Distracted by the sights, it took her an extra few minutes to reach her destination.

Meeting the Head Archivist and only Archivist of Rito Village, Master Honoka, was, well for lack of a better word, interesting. A security gate behind the main cloth door rattled and shook as the Rito Elder unlocked it, pulling it back in a single motion. She peered at Maiya through the thick glasses which rested at the top of her beak, cautiously taking in the appearance of the small human woman who awkwardly stood at her doorway. Even whilst leaning on an ornate silver cane, the Rito stood three heads taller, practically towering over her. “Unfortunately, we don’t take walk-ins,” the old woman said. Her voice was intelligent, educated, and extremely tired. 

“I’m not here to sight-see,” Maiya said. “Are you...are you the Archivist?” She shuffled in place, willing herself not to stare at her shoes. “If so nice to meet you. Do you have any texts on arcane weaponry? Something that mentions blue-energy, or ice magic?” 

Master Honoka expression softened, but her grip on the gate did not waver. “I’m sorry,  _ hylianlla _ , but the Archives do not welcome tourists anymore. If you wanted to know how to make ice arrows however, I suggest you see the bowyer a level down. Though don’t get his shop mixed up with the blacksmith’s, that bird is a gruff one. Now have a good day.” She shuffled back, pulling the gate to shut her out.

Her rune flashed. “Wait!” Maiya said, unsheathing the flame dagger. Its orange gleam was as bright as ever, catching the morning light. Her hands shook minutely as she presented it in front of her in a nervous hurry. 

_Perhaps shoving a knife with little explanation in front of an elderly lady was a bad idea_ , she thought. Honoka’s eyes widened, a small gasp escaping her beak. She gripped her cane tightly. Maiya’s gloved hand warmed. She panicked, wondering if it was going to hit her. However, as the Elder advanced, her eyes caught the light of the red flame, feeling the radiant heat which ran under the metal of the dagger. The rito stopped, eyes widening in recognition. “ _Enkantada_ ,” Honoka whispered.

In an instant, the door was pushed back. Maiya jumped as a wing wrapped around her wrist, quickly pulling her into the hut. 

Immediately, the familiar smell of dust and books filled her senses. Maiya blinked, looking up. All around her, covering the walls and reaching the ceiling, were shelves upon shelves of precious books. 

The collection was  _ massive _ . 

Maiya gasped. A part of her, the giddy childlike excitement at discovering something new, jumped for joy. It’s like she was standing in the middle of a perfect storm. Some books were hardbound, the titles on many of their spines in languages she’d never heard of before. Others were nothing but just paper and twine, on the verge of falling apart and standing on their last legs. She saw books with paper backs, and books wrapped in animal skins. The top of her banada felt warm, with beams of white, dusty daylight shining from the oculus above her. 

Someone cleared their throat. Maiya whirled around. The elderly rito stood only a few steps away, cane outstretched. The metal stick nudged at the arm which held the dagger, lifting it up higher to the dusty light that filtered in from the glass ceiling. 

“Who are you?” Honoka said, cautious yet not unkind. She reached for a dial at the side of her glasses, turning it. The lenses on her spectacles moved and folded into a focal point, magnifying her vision. She leaned forward, examining the dagger with a critical eye. “An Enchanter? I can’t believe it. I thought there was only one of you left.”

Maiya’s shoulders sank, sinking the dagger back into its sheath. “Two now, actually. I was only given the title a few weeks ago. I’m sorry for the confusion.” 

“It’s no trouble, dear,” Honoka said. “I apologise as well, we’ve had an issue the past few months with thieves. The Yiga Clan have been pretending to be travelling scholars looking for precious, old books in our collection. We’ve lost many in the past month and I didn’t want to take the risk.”

“That sounds terrible.” 

“It is,” Honoka said, looking close to tears. She sniffed, squaring her shoulders. “Nevermind that. What brings you here, Young Enchanter? 

“I’m learning how to enchant Ice Weapons. Someone told me that you’re a collector of old knowledge.”

“I’m a historian and archivist,  _ enkantada _ . Not an antiquarian. However, yes, I believe I might have something along those lines. And who was this Rito that directed you here?”

“The innkeeper.”

Master Honoka sighed, taking her glasses off and rubbing her head. “Of course it was Cheska. That girl never has the sense to not stick her beak where it doesn’t belong, especially if she can get a story out of it.”

“Do you know her.”

The old rito hobbled to the middle of the room, cane glinting in the early afternoon light. “She’s my niece.” She tapped her cane to the ground, giving the floor two experimental wacks.

Maiya stood to the side, not quite sure what was going on anymore. “Uh...what are you doing?”

The Archivist raised her cane over the floor once again, stabbing its end into a barely noticeable hole in the planks. She twisted the cane and stepped back, lifting up a long piece of floorboard. It came away easily, nailed-in less tight in comparison to the others. 

Underneath there seemed to be a deep gap in the floor, holding what looked like four mysterious rectangular stacks. 

Maiya bent down to get a better look. The inside was dusty, probably from having not seen the light of day in several years. As she moved closer, she realised that the stacks she saw were actually books, all faded and leather bound. 

“Many years ago,” Honoka said, looking down at the cobweb covered tomes. “I was asked to burn these. Me, being the stubborn woman I was back then, followed my heart and decided to hide them instead.” 

“Why?” 

“Knowledge is never supposed to be destroyed,” she said, looking at Maiya seriously. “We should not fear mistakes nor the things we don’t fully understand. If we did, then we would never learn from our shortcomings and continue making regretful decisions.” She turned away, walking towards a back room. “I will be in my study, the tomes are free for you to peruse. Let me know if you don’t understand anything, I have a few cipher guides you might find useful.”

“Thank you, oh wait!” Maiya couldn't help her curiosity. “Who asked you to burn them all those years ago?” 

Honoka paused before she closed the door. Her back was turned, the intricate weaving and patterns of her multicoloured shawl contrasting with the pale peach-almost white of her feathers. 

“It was the King of Hyrule, young Enchanter.”


	5. Ideographic Approach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many questions are asked, and very few answers are given. The Enchanter sees another side of the Pride of Rito Village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a safe and happy holidays everyone! 
> 
> Thank you Jackstar98, eternalfangirl220, vallistorm, SinewyCashew, Chromascuro_523, shirayukisuju, Rebebetta, DecayethSea, Riju_is_best_disney_princess_lol, and all my beautiful guests for sticking around and leaving kudos!
> 
> Very special thanks to EirSnowLavellan, leechyee, SilversunXD, Copykitty, girlafraidinacoma and ArchitectOfLight117 for leaving a comment!
> 
> Writing is an enjoyable hobby for me, but you all make the experience worth sharing so thank you!

Fire. The world was on fire. Maiya pushed through the crowd of fleeing people, ribbons of smoke filling her lungs and the smell of burnt flesh lingering in the air. A blood moon was in the sky, casting a scarlet glow that mingled with the flames spreading from the burning cottages behind her.

_ “...ey…hey!” _

The frightening sound of wood cracking and creaking met her ears. Unsure as to why, Maiya turned her head to glance at the burning houses. In the front door of one of them, an unknown figure stood at the entrance. They were completely faceless, with features so burnt she couldn’t recognise if they were hylian or not. Slowly, the figure seemed to click back to life, lifting a loaded bow and aiming the arrow for the space between her eyes. 

_ “Ench...er…...leep!”  _

She flinched just as the arrow was released. The last thing she heard was the sound of wood crashing into the ground and anguished screams of the people around her. 

“ _ Lita!  _ Grandma! The Enchanter fell asleep!” 

Maiya groaned, rubbing away the small layer of crust from her eyes. She knew she was awake, yet could still smell the stench of smoke. “What?” Her voice was croaky, strained. Something small was pulling at her shirt sleeve, and yelling.

The clatter of objects were heard in the distance, then a familiar voice. “Kaneli!” 

_ Where am I?  _ She cracked her eyes open, alarmed to see that she was on the ground and surrounded by several open books.  _ Must have fallen asleep reading.  _ Sitting up slowly, she propped herself up with her free hand. Minding her stiff neck, she scrubbed her face with one of her hands, and looked up. 

A tiny rito with a snowy face stood next to her. 

He was covered in wild brown feathers and a mint green poncho. Little tufts of hair stood out on his head, barely held back by several colourful ribbons which all looked as if they were tied in a storm. He wasn’t looking at her, focused on pulling at her arm again with a franticness that made his talons click and slide against the floorboards. Maiya cleared her throat. 

The little bird stopped, turning to look at her with wide, shocked eyes. He dropped her arm, and stood back, face betraying his awe. “You’re an Enchanter!” He blurted.

“Uh, yes?” Maiya said, feeling a bit hesitant under the weight of child’s scrutinizing gaze. 

She blinked as Kaneli’s face broke out into a sunny smile. Inwardly, she grimaced.  _ Too bright _ . He stamped his little talons in childish excitement. “Wow! Just like the stories! I always imagined you would be taller. Where’s your sealing hammer?”

“I left it in the forge, but why—”

“And your anvil?”

“Well. Blacksmith’s steel is a bit heavy to carry all the way from Akkala to—” 

“And your enchanted weapon?”

Maiya sighed, sleepily reaching for the scabbard at her side. “It’s right—” She stopped, hands patting nothing but air. Frowning, she looked down. “Here?” The ornate scabbard was empty. 

Her breath stopped. It was like being doused with freezing cold water. A lightning bolt of clarity ran up her spine, clearing her sleep clouded mind and awakening her to the realisation of one, crucial detail. The dagger was gone. 

Wide-eyed, Maiya jolted up, her whole body tilting to the side from the vertigo. She quickly righted herself, ignoring the spinning of the room and whipped around frantically, desperately scanning the room for something sharp and definitely burning.  _ Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit—  _

“Over here,  _ ekantada _ .” Honoka’s voice echoed over her panicked thoughts like a bell in a storm.

She turned. The Elder stood by a long table at the northern end of the room, black safety goggles pulled over her glasses and obscuring her face. The kind older rito looked almost terrifying in the dimmer light, having donned a heavy leather apron and industrial half-sleeves to protect her wings. She was still as a statue, focusing as she appraised a dagger with a critical eye. 

It wasn’t just any dagger. It was  _ her _ dagger. Unsheathed, angry, and exposed to the chilly air. 

What was most surprising however, was that instead of burning a hole through the Archivist’s floor, its hilt was held in the parallel jaws of an industrial vice. Maiya couldn't believe it. The clamp’s surface was cracked and sizzling, yet as it fought a losing battle against the red dagger, it remained miraculously intact. 

Her first emotion was shock. Then—anger; molten and hot, threatening to bubble up and spill out as she marched towards Honoka, little Kaneli following nervously after her. “What are you  _ doing _ ? That is extremely dangerous!”

Honoka spared her an unconcerned glance and turned back to the dagger, watching as it spat scorching flames from its position at her table. The Archivist continued to write in her notebook. “Studying your handiwork,” she said, unperturbed. “You are very talented.”

“How,” Maiya seethed, fists clenching and unclenching. Her next words came out short and clipped. “How are you not burnt?” 

Master Honoka gestured to a pile of ashen materials at her side, most of them emitting smoke and reduced to nothing but bent metal and rubble. “With great caution.” 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” 

Honoka replied to Maiya’s agitation with diplomatic patience. “Think,  _ hylianlla _ .” 

Inhaling a shaky breath, Maiya bit her lip and did as she was told. Reluctantly, she turned her back on her dagger, walking up to the pile of discarded tools and roughly picking up a set of long, warped tongs. She held it up to the scant light of the room, angling it carefully. Little dust particles were interspersed in the air around her as she zeroed in her attention on the piece of metal. The sounds of Kamori asking his grandmother a question faded away as she focused. 

With her gloved forefinger she brushed away the oxidized crust, flipping the blacksmith tongs to its side. She examined it, looking for the engraving of a familiar eye-symbol to confirm her thoughts. Yet, there was none. 

_ There is only one logical reason _ , she thought,  _ but it doesn’t make any sense _ . "How…" she mused aloud. "I thought Teacher and I had the only ones left."

Maiya looked to Honoka, perplexed. "The Royal Family had them destroyed thousands of years ago." She continued. From the corner of her eye, the fire from her dagger flared again, only to quickly be stifled as if sucked up into an invisible vacuum in the surrounding air.

“Wow…” she heard little Kaneli whisper. 

After some deliberation, she finally voiced the burning question in her mind. “Are you telling me that this pile of warped metal are supposed to be Instruments?” 

From the around the beginnings of her earliest memory, Maiya was taught the intricacies and history of her chosen field of study. What was left of it, at least. The first and last known makers of Enchanter's tools were the Sheikah. The books back in her mentor’s sanctum called them  _ Instruments _ , tools that were essential in the smithing and Enchanting process. 

These Instruments, whilst eventually breaking down, could withstand the might of most Enchanted objects, proving to be an essential part of the forge. Because of them, Enchanting became less of a lethal process, allowing the art to transition into an accessible skill thousands of years ago. 

That’s all changed now, with the burying of history and the loss of almost all Instruments. Maiya knew that Teacher’s gear was passed down by her own mentor, and the mentor before them, and so on. Precious objects hidden from the Royal Family’s eyes at the price of potential treason for the protection of knowledge. 

However, holding the rusted tongs in the air, weighty and industrial as they were, she did not feel the same energy running through her as she did with the tools back in Akkala. These Instruments were not of Sheikah make.  _ Are they even Instruments at all?  _

Her arms dropped, shaking. She had so many questions. "Where did you get this? Who made this?"

The Archivist answered her. "These tools were given to me on indefinite loan sometime ago by the village's blacksmith."

The words were out of her mouth before she could think them through. "Is he an Enchanter as well?"

Honoka scoffed. "Hardly, and I suggest you don't call him that if you do see him. His distaste for your kind borders that of the imbecilic." She shook her head. "I digress. Did you see the oxidation and damage, young Enchanter?”

“I did.” Maiya nodded, looking at her fingers which had a smudge of rust. “I think I understand now. These tools were not properly imbued with whatever…ability the blacksmith was attempting to give them.”

She was missing something, and she had a feeling that Honoka was too. These pseudo-Instruments, warped and damaged as they are, still managed to withstand the fiery might of her dagger. For a few minutes, they bore the prolonged brunt of a weapon that had every intention to irreversibly destroy whatever touched it that it deemed unworthy. These Instruments, whilst not created by Sheikah hands, did whatever their instructions ordered them to do. Operating in the same way her scabbard and Teacher’s cloth did in stifling the flame, and they  _ worked _ . 

Maiya turned to look at the obsidian coloured vice at Honoka’s desk. It had begun to bubble now, softening. It was at the cusp of crumbling into pieces. Yet it continued to stand, holding her dagger and defying its predetermined destruction for several more minutes. 

The Hylian pressed a knuckle to her temple, a headache building. There was someone in this village that knew how to make Instruments. No. There was someone in this village that was  _ trying _ to make Instruments.

There was still another lingering thought which bothered her. "Why did you take my dagger?"

The Archivist snapped her notebook shut, prompting Maiya to glance up. Honoka reached over and picked up her cane once more, walking to her. "To get a closer look.” 

“I admit,” She began as Maiya opened her mouth to retort, “your attachment is unusual,  _ hylianlla _ . I was under the impression that Enchanters relinquished ownership of their creations with the final hit of the hammer."

_ Ouch. _

The Enchanter swallowed her anger, feeling a pang of hurt in her chest. "That's because it is expected the weapon finds its Master not too long after it is forged." She paused, sensing the impending question in the air. "I'm working on it."

Elder Honoka pulled her black goggles up and onto her forehead, giving Maiya an unconcealed view of her scrutinising stare. Her grey eyes were sharp and clear, filled with wisdom and intelligence cultivated by years of research and experience.

"I'm sorry, Enchanter." Honoka said, genuinely. Wings at her side, she leaned into a low, apologetic bow. 

"I…" Maiya stopped.  _ I wasn’t expecting that _ . "It's alright. Just don't do it again."

Honoka shook her head once more, walking to the pile of books Maiya previously slept in. She picked up a tome from the heap. “I must explain my reasoning,  _ hylianlla _ . When you showed that dagger to me the first time, something— or well, the  _ lack _ of that something— caught my eye."

The rito flicked the book open, pages passing rapidly before she landed on a specific section Maiya couldn't quite discern. Kaneli next to her attempted to see the image, standing on the tips of his claws to peak into the book. The words were unintelligible, and her hands ached to take it to get a closer look. 

Honoka’s head tilted to her, guessing her thoughts. “This is one of the more unusual additions in the collection. There is a powerful spell protecting it. You will fail to read it, as I have, no matter how straightforward the writing may seem.”

"However, we can still comprehend the images, and I’ve been able to develop some theories thanks to that fact. _Enkantada,_ I implore that you listen closely. I’ve studied languages, both new and old for many years. This is one of the aspects of your people that had interested me the most."

In the dusty light, her glasses reflected what seemed to be boldly drawn lines on a page. "There are symbols made by the Sheikah that go beyond the function of the characters within the Sheikah script. These are characters that could mean entire objects, places, concepts, and in this case even  _ instructions _ .”

In that moment, Maiya was acutely aware of the lines of scar tissue running along the surface of her left hand. Puckered skin that formed a symbol which had been helping her instruct the magical properties of all her failed enchanted prototypes, and the dagger which now stands burning in the corner. 

“To my knowledge,” Honoka continued, “the Sheikah people from 10,000 years ago, those who have forged weapons of great elemental control, utilised these symbols. As Enchanters, you and your Teacher would have done the same. Yet,” she paused, gesturing to the enchanted dagger burning in its clamp. “Your blade bears no such markings.” 

Maiya’s breath hitched. A bead of sweat ran down the back of her neck as Honoka flipped the book around. The rune for  _ Fire _ stood out on the page, an almost exact mirror to the scar on her hand.

Master Honoka’s eagle eyes were trained on her again. In them there was no malice, but a cunning curiosity that made her nervous. “I wonder how that is possible?”

“I…” Unbeknownst to her, somewhere in the conversation she had set down the tongs, opting now to nervously pull at the leather glove which covered the buzzing rune at risk of burning a hole through the fabric.  _ How much does Honoka know?  _

A gurgling noise echoed throughout the Archives, interrupting them. “ _ Lita!  _ Food please?” A small voice chirped.

The older Rito sighed, shaking her head with an indulgent smile. “We can discuss this later,” she said, pulling Maiya away from her thoughts, “You’ve been asleep for a while and lunch was many hours ago. My grandson has a point. You must be hungry.” 

“Sit with me, Enchanter!”

“I’m—” Maiya cleared her throat, suddenly feeling parched. “If you just have a glass of water that would be great. You don’t have to serve me food, I can find some outside.”

“Nonsense.” Honoka said, swapping her heavy duty apron for a lighter, patterned one which hung at the back of one of the chairs. “Take a seat at a clean desk, I’ll go find some dried meats and cheeses for you.”

“Oh, and don’t forget to retrieve your dagger from the clamp.” She called over her shoulder, walking towards the backroom once more. Her voice began to trail away. “The scabbard is next to it at the table. Please do it soon. I already have a gap in my floorboards, so I would very much like to keep the rest of my home hole-free.” 

Maiya silently drizzled butter over the honeyed rice pudding Honoka served as dessert, barely paying attention to the buzzing little rito next to her. Still shaken from earlier events, she felt her unease ironically lighten with the familiar weight of the dagger hanging at her hip. Kaneli, dwarfed by the towers of books around him, sat happy and content from his place at the table, swinging his legs with a bright smile on his beak. He asked her question after question, talking around his food which he dug into with cheerful gusto. 

“Miss Enchanter, can you make other things? Things that are not fire?”

“Yes, or well, I should.” she replied, spooning a portion of the creamy pudding into her mouth. She hummed, pleased at the subtle sweetness.  _ This isn’t so bad _ . “Historically we were able to make weapons that could emulate the power of many elements.”

“So that’s why you’re here. To see if  _ lita’s _ books can help you?”

“Correct!” Maiya smirked. She chewed at her food thoughtfully. “Hey, you’re pretty observant for a five year old.”

Kaneli frowned, kicking up a sharp claw into the air. He curled his small wings into tinier fists, and tossed her the most severe glare he could muster with his big, baby blue eyes.  _ Aww.  _ “I’m six!” 

Maiya laughed, then spooned in another mouthful of pudding. “Apologies, you are a very observant  _ six _ year old.” For a second she allowed her gloomy mood to slip, stifling a giggle as Kaneli nodded to himself, as if to say ‘yes, indeed I am quite clever!’

Kaneli pouted and furrowed his brow. Puffing up his chest, he turned to look at her with mock seriousness, assessing something she wasn’t entirely sure of before saying “I forgive you.” Then, as if nothing happened, jumped straight back into questioning. “Miss Enchanter, did you find anything new in  _ lita’s _ books?”

Maiya felt her levity drop like the petals of a wilted flower. “No.” And she was back to sad moping again. “Not yet, at least.” 

“Oh,” Kaneli said. “Well—” 

Both jumped as a loud knock resounded throughout the Archives.

Someone was outside. 

“A moment!” Honoka called from the second floor. She flapped her wings, gracefully descending to the ground level. She took the cane strapped to her back, hobbling over to her front door and unlocking the gate. Seeing who was there, the older rito clicked her tongue in disapproval. “My dear, what are you doing at my doorstep instead of resting in your hammock? I keep telling you not to push yourself so far all the time! You look absolutely haggard.” 

“Good evening, Master Honoka.” A familiar voice said, blatantly ignoring the previous admonishment. “ _ Allin ch’isi, Amaut'a _ . I’ve brought something for you from the mountain vendor.” 

Honoka moved to the side, giving Maiya a chance to peak at the mysterious stranger standing outside the door. 

_ Oh.  _

Honoka sighed. “Hah, Master Revali.  _ Qoyllur-cha _ . What am I going to do with you? Come inside and have some  _ arroz con leche _ .”

Maiya quickly averted her eyes as the blue rito walked into the room. She could feel her heart beating to the sound of his talons lightly hitting the floorboards.  _ He hasn’t seen me yet _ , she thought, and for a brief moment she weighed up the pros and cons of hiding underneath the table like a dumbass. 

“What are you doing?” The little rito seated next to her asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion when he found the Enchanter sinking deeper into her seat, already halfway down.

She cringed, caught. “Uh…”

Then, the young rito’s head perked up, finally seeing who had entered the room. “Vali!” Kaneli yelled.  _ Shoot. _

The little rito bolted from his chair. He flapped his tiny wings, flying a few centimetres off the ground before colliding into the blue rito’s stomach with a muffled ‘ooft’. To her surprise, Revali chuckled, hoisting Kaneli high into the sky, before setting the laughing child on his shoulders. 

He then turned, their eyes meeting. Maiya was sure that she’d hallucinated the easy smile he had a minute ago, as now a big irritating smirk dominated the rest of his face. 

“Ah, what a coincidence, enchanter. I was wondering where you were.”

“She’s trying to hide from you, Vali!” 

“I am not!” Maiya sat up quickly, accidentally slamming her kneecap into the table.  _ Ow! _

Honoka clicked her tongue again, watching the scene with a small, exasperated smile on her face. She held a bag of parsnips in one wing. “Alright, enough of that for now. Take a seat Master Revali, and please, put my grandson down.”

“Aww! But  _ lita! _ ” 

Maiya returned to reading soon after, an air of awkwardness lingering as both rito warrior and hylian guest attempted not to pay attention to the other. She finished the rice pudding quickly, diving back into taking notes from the multiple books around her as Honoka and Revali discussed the events of the day. On the floor not too far away, Kaneli lay on his stomach, kicking his legs in the air and busying himself with his crayons and paper. 

“Thank you for the parsnips, Revali. These will go very well in a soup. Is June still selling his produce up there? I heard the weather and bad-company has gotten worse lately.” 

“As it always does on the approach to the winter months, Master Honoka. With regards to the sudden rise in Yiga activity, Chief Kamori had increased patrols along several of the mountain routes. I’m confident we’ll have the rabble cleaned up by the end of the Solstice.”

The Enchanter adjusted her chair, accidentally jarring the careful stack of books in front of her. The tower wobbled and shook, sending the volume at its top tumbling to the side. Maiya reached her gloved hand out, quickly swiping it from the air before it could hit the ground.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she gazed down at the book in her hands, letting out a bewildered “Huh?” 

It was the same book that Honoka had held a while ago. This close, and she could tell that it was torn and quite dirty. Gently, she blew out a small breath against its surface, watching as dust particles lifted and departed, floating in the air. What she thought was a light, grey cover, was actually an extremely faded blue. It was barely holding on by its bindings, looking as if it had been thrown out a window, dragged through the dirt— 

_ And perhaps set on fire,  _ Maiya thought, running a finger over its singed corners. 

She looked at its title, eyes tracing over the lines and grooves of the foreign symbols, committing them to memory. She blinked once, then twice, then took a few minutes to consult Honoka’s language guides. Confused, Maiya found herself unable to remember what she’d just seen. 

The Enchanter frowned, reading the title once more. The Sheikah-like characters sharpened then blurred, as if her brain was refusing to cooperate and make the final connection. There was that feeling again, that turning sensation in her gut that she was missing something. 

The book was completely incomprehensible.

_ Great, I can’t read.  _ Maiya rubbed her eyes, cracking it open. Page after page of text and runes produced the same results. Finally, she landed on a purely illustrated section. Unlike most of the book, it wasn’t a rune that dominated the page. Instead, a complicated pyramid like structure stood out to her at its centre. Carefully drawn, it was divided into two, showing a simplistic exterior and greatly detailed interior of trap doors and hidden chambers.

What stood out to her the most, however, was the short column at its doorway, building up and forming around a flat, disk shaped platform at its top. It was a terminal pedestal, but without an ornamental sculpture. 

_ Odd choice for decoration _ , she thought. 

The pedestal was the darkest and most inked part of the blueprint. The artist had painted a swathe of colour, a bright ribbon of vivid sapphire, to mimic the movement of a river or a snake. It ran from the terminal’s top and into the ground and roots below, flowing and following the bottom border until it disappeared at the end of the page. 

“What do you have there?” A voice whispered near her ear. 

“Nothing.” Maiya said quickly. Slamming the book shut, she turned around, lips sinking into an automatic frown at how close the blue rito stood. 

Revali raised a feathered brow, leaning away. “Very well. I hate to cut your research short, Hylian, but I have orders to escort you around the village before sundown.”

Maiya frowned. “Explain.”

The rito sighed, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. "Chief Kamori believes that as a guest who had never stepped foot on our village grounds before, it would be rather injudicious of us not to give you a tour of the town."

Maiya opened her mouth to refuse, citing that she'd already had a good enough look around, before a pair of tiny wings pushed a piece of paper in front of her nose. "Look, Enchanter!" Kaneli smiled. 

A poorly drawn sketch of a red dagger was on the page. It was shooting flames like a sparkler, lending its light to a few fireworks in the sky. Several thick arrows were positioned near the edge of the weapon, pointing to a section of the blade. Maiya's eyes followed them, seeing that they were leading her to the dagger's fuller, where a few squiggles were gathered together. 

"The stories say a long, long time ago, Enchanted weapons had drawings that helped them make fire or ice and stuff." The young rito bowed his head, shuffling his feet. "Yours doesn't though, so I drew some to help."

Maiya was silent, staring at Kaneli's interpretation of runic inscription. Her mind flashed to the way her dagger spluttered and fought as it was held in the vice grip of the melting clamp. The blacksmith. She needed to find him. 

According to Honoka he had a dislike for Enchanters.  _ Fine.  _ It made things difficult, but Maiya knew that she needed to find him. A potential lack of cooperation was just another setback she had to overcome. Visiting Honoka had left her with more questions than answers, and this knowledge of the village’s blacksmith having an interest in Instruments was her best lead so far. It would be a waste to ignore it. 

"Thank you, Kaneli." She said sincerely.

The young Rito beamed.

"Very well," Maiya decided, crossing her arms. She angled her head up to look at Revali, trying to appear as authoritative as possible. "I'll go, but I want you to show me where the village forge would be. I'm curious as to what your local weapons look like." For a second, she saw hesitancy flash in both Revali and Honoka's eyes. They turned to each other, a silent battle ensuing as the two ritos communicated via raised eyebrows and pointed looks.

"I can learn a thing or two as well whilst I'm there." She added, trying to sound reasonable.

Finally, Revali sighed, walking to the front door. “Sure, whatever. Now say your goodbyes and catch up will you?"

Maiya rolled her eyes.  _ I don’t appreciate your tone, jerk. _ Carefully, she placed Kaneli’s drawing into her journal and stored them both into her backpack. Whilst Honoka was preoccupied scolding Revali about his sleep patterns, she slipped the unusual book inside as well. 

Honoka held her grandson’s wing as she walked her guests to the door. “Young Enchanter, I expect to see your face again. Don’t keep the collection waiting. I hope to hear more of your findings at a later date." 

“I’ll try to be back soon.” Maiya said noncommittally, hoisting the small bag over her shoulders. 

Elder Honoka playfully swatted Revali’s back with her cane. The aforementioned rito jumped in surprise. "Take care,  _ Qoyllur-cha _ . Don’t get the hylian in any sort of trouble.” Honoka smiled, crows feet creasing as she adopted a mischievous tone. “Now that I’ve met her, I do agree with what you said yesterday. She is quite an _ interesting  _ visitor.” 

Revali pinched the space above his beak. “Please stop talking, Master Honoka.”

The silence that ensued as they left was tense, but expected. Revali walked up the main staircase quickly, Maiya keeping up behind him with minimal difficulty. Once they reached the top floor, the rito’s pace slowed. He looked behind him once to ensure she was there, leading her to one of the nearby departure decks. 

With his back to her, Revali approached the edge of the platform, stopping before the drop. His eyes were trained on something in the distance, and for a moment he stood very still, seeing or feeling something she couldn’t. Maiya looked around, taking in the panoramic view of mountains and treetops around them. It was a few minutes before sunset, a hint of orange already beginning to appear behind the grey cumulus clouds that had gathered throughout the afternoon. In the trees beyond, wild birds began to chirp. It felt nice. Serene even. 

“Get on my back."

The Enchanter paused, looking at the rito wide-eyed as a blush began to colour her face. "P-pardon—” 

Revali exhaled a deep, world-weary sigh, before bending down on one knee, bracing both wings on the ground as if preparing for a sprint. "Farore Above, have the winds carried your hearing away? Get on my back, we don't have much daylight left."

Maiya blinked, walking forward. Unsure of what to do, she threw all caution to the wind and grasped his shoulder, hoisting herself up. The hylian shifted uncomfortably, slipping to the left as her hands tried to find purchase on the blue rito's back. 

Yanking a bit too forcefully, a feather came loose in her grasp. Mortified, she sucked in a shaky breath. She quickly pocketed it, lest her reluctant chauffeur were to see and drop her as soon as they were in the air. "Is this...is this really necessary?"

"Believe me," Revali replied, looking over his shoulder to throw her an expression akin to that of a poked Honeyvore Bear, "I'm asking myself the same question right now, but whatever Chief Kamori says, goes."

"...Even if the request is utterly pointless and extremely undignified." He muttered to himself, the aside purposefully loud enough for her to catch it.

_ Asshole _ .

"What was that?"

_ Oh, shit!  _

"Uh," Maiya blanked, "I said, 'that's cool'".

Another awkward silence settled between them as she finally decided that kneeling on his back and bending down to throw both arms around his shoulders to stabilise herself was the best course of action. The only issue being that this placed his head uncomfortably close to her own, his bronze pauldrons nearly brushing her cheek.

The winds on the edge of the departure deck blew heavy in her face, making her eyes feel irritated and watery.

Maiya looked away, focusing on the rito in front of her instead. This close and she could see the minute imperfections on his yellow beak. There was a small white line, about four centimetres in length, running along its side as thin as a thread. 

A gust of air blew past them, making goosebumps appear on her arms. Reflexively, she gripped him tighter, holding him close to feel the warmth of his back against her shivering chest. She exhaled, the heat of her breath mingling with the cold air, creating a white cloud in the space between her mouth and his cheek. 

Revali froze. 

The Enchanter briefly wondered if he had reached the end of his patience.  _ Didn’t an important warrior like himself have other pressing matters to attend to today? _ She wouldn’t be surprised if he was ready to toss her back onto the wooden deck and walk away, Chief’s orders be damned. 

"Hey, you know, if this too weird I can always walk."

"No.” The rito warrior spoke, voice heavy with irritation. "Let's just get this over and done with." 

Suddenly, the lean muscle beneath her tensed. Revali’s wings extended with a dramatic  _ fwip _ , fanning at his sides in preparation. His feathers were a sea of blue around her. Filling her line of vision, everywhere and in her peripheries.

One flap, and they hovered. Maiya bit back a vulgar swear as her grasp around his shoulders tightened.

He laughed mockingly. "Is the mighty enchanter afraid of heights?"

"No. I'll be alright, just give me a warning before we fl—  _ AAAAAAAAH!!!" _

Without a word, Revali dove off the edge, and the world tilted. 

Maiya shrieked, feeling her stomach drop as Revali sent them both into freefall. She shut her eyes, clutching onto him for dear life as the winds around them twisted and turned, whipping past at unbelievable speeds. It was loud. Deafening. Howling like the call of a storm.

Gravity sat heavy on her back, pressure building around her as the ground steadily raced to meet them. Maiya’s heart began to beat rapidly, hammering a heavy rhythm like a war drum in her chest. A warm blush crept up her neck, filling her cheeks and the tips of her ears with a rosy hue. She had to remind herself to breathe. 

Amidst all this, she could still briefly register the fresh scent of pine and feel the icy snap of air rushing around her. Cold. Untouched.  _ Free _ . It was like all her senses were alive, her brain firing messages faster than her mind could fully process. 

Inching and creeping like a troublesome snake, Maiya could register the small warning pinpricks of pain travelling along the surface of her left hand. Her eyes widened, no longer in excitement but in panic. Her mind flicked to her gloved hand braced tightly around Revali’s shoulder, already imagining the blue light leaking from the scar’s edges.  _ This is bad, this is very bad.  _ The rune was going to activate at any second and fry both her and her pilot. 

The adrenaline rush was terrifying. Amazing. Though if it didn't stop soon, it was going to kill them both. 

_ I’m safe!  _ She mentally chanted. She willed the bubbling energy to recede, her panicked thoughts escaping her as whispered words lost in the wind. “I’m safe. I’m safe. I’m safe.”

As if in hearing her, she felt the speed of their plummet slow, followed by the sound of wings flapping. The pair dipped further, the blue of the waters below getting closer, then suddenly.  _ Whoosh _ . They changed trajectory—arcing up. 

Revali caught the gale, cutting and carving a path away from the ground. Hastening them forward to meet the sky. 

From the small cracks between her eye-lids, Maiya could see the light shifting as the world re-oriented itself once more. Her ears popped from the dramatic change in pressure. Head spinning, she briefly contemplated letting go completely and letting herself fall into the depths below. Which was unusual since it involved saving the life of the rito she disliked so much at the expense of her own safety.  _ Damnnit.  _ She knew the fire was going to reach him anyhow, and when it did it was going to send both of them falling anyway. There was not enough time. This was it.  _ Make a decision!  _ This is—

“Ahem.”

Revali cleared his throat, wrenching the Enchanter from her racing thoughts. 

"You can look up now."

Maiya peeked an eye open, noticing with belated embarrassment that she had burrowed her face into the rito’s feathered neck. Scrunching her nose in disgust, she pulled away, eyes blinking to adjust to the bright light around her.

Whilst the breeze still blew heavy in her face, the world had stopped spinning. It sat before her now, drifting in a haze of orange and blue. The cacophony of sound in her ears had also dulled to a light whistle, leaving her ears ringing. 

Yes. Evidently, they had ceased falling. 

Remembering the near disaster from awhile ago, Maiya quickly lifted her gloved hand, ignoring Revali’s questioning look. Sighing in relief, she found that the fire had not activated, the single glove’s surface free of scorch marks.  _ That was too close.  _

Reigning in her galloping heart, Maiya took three careful breaths and lifted herself back up into a semi-kneeling position. Chancing a look at the world they were currently soaring above, she gasped. 

They were high-up. 

Extremely, high-up.

They were flying several metres above the apex of the village, the zenith of Valoo’s Spire slowly materializing beneath as the canopy of clouds surrounding them began to clear. The winds at this height were strong, but Revali expertly navigated around them, tilting his wings and angling in a way that placed them at an easy glide. 

From their vantage point in the sky, the entire Tabantha Frontier was spread out before her. All around them were trees upon trees, forests filled with conifer evergreens still lush with emerald leaves even in the approach to the colder months. 

In the west, rocky cliff faces weathered by time took up most of the view, whilst in the east she could vaguely see the way in which the earth cracked and dipped. It was Tanagar Canyon, cutting through the land like a jagged scar. 

To the north were the Hebra Mountains. Dangerous and dignified. If the stories were correct, it was home to all kinds of monsters and secrets. Their snow-covered peaks rose to the sky as if to stab the blue expanse, disappearing under the misty cloud cover that rose higher than the height even she and Revali were at right now. 

And in the middle of all this, directly below them, was Rito Village. Maiya could feel the terror in her heart fizzle as she took in the village in its entirety. She’d never seen anything like it before. 

Valoo’s Spire stood tall and proud in the centre of a massive body of water. It served as the main supporting structure for the Rito’s huts. Like lanterns on a hook, albeit heavier and less fragile, the huts hung from rock formations which jutted out from the spire like outstretched arms. Maiya noticed that most of the homes were wooden brown and slightly curved, reminding her of baskets or bells. 

Instead of spreading out horizontally like most places in Hyrule, Rito Village was built upwards, a vertical village reaching to the sky. From this vantage point she could see the whole grand staircase which ran along the spire like an unravelling spiral, splitting into various departure decks at random intervals closer to the top. Buildings and smaller huts appeared in each level, with patterned cloth banners decorating almost every home, waving in the wind and painting the village in various swathes of vivid colour.

"Wow…," she whispered.

"Yes, I know," Revali's voice broke through her thoughts, reminding her of exactly who she was with right now. "A fine specimen such as myself in flight is a sight to behold."

Maiya’s easy smile sunk faster than a faulty boat on an icy lake as she regarded the blue rito beneath her. "Hylia, not you. I'm talking about your village!" 

Squinting her eyes, Maiya could see the movement of the Rito and other travellers of Hyrule as they went about their business. Some seemed to be waving goodbye or closing shop, and she realised belatedly how late in the day it already was. Amongst the various houses she could pick out the few that she’d been to; Kamori’s Hut, Swallow’s Roost and even Honoka’s Archive.

The question left her mouth before she could reign in back in. “Where’s your place?”

“Over there, the hut with the blue banners, a floor below Kamori's.” Revali replied. 

Maiya fidgeted, leaning forward to get a closer look. The rito grunted. “Hey, watch it! Keep throwing your weight too far to one side and you’re gonna tip us over.”

But it was too late. The Enchanter continued to peer to the side, inadvertently bracing herself to the left, off-balancing the pair and sending them into a brief spin. Maiya yelped in surprise as the calm world around her fell away again. “Shoot! Sorry!” 

Revali made an irritated sound at the back of his throat, wings straining as he reeled them back into their previous glide in seconds. 

Silence reigned as the pair regained their breath. Revali angled his head to scowl at her. “Did you leave your brain back in Honoka’s Archive, or have you always been this senseless?” 

Maiya hung her head sheepishly, attempting to avoid his gaze and failing horribly. “Okay in all honesty, my bad. Learned my lesson there.”

Revali sighed, briefly considering if pushing the subject was worth it, and ultimately decided to let it go. Instead, the annoyance on his face slid into an expression of thinly veiled suspicion. “Why did you ask?” 

Maiya tilted her head, confused. “Ask what?”

“Why did you want to know where I lived?”

“Not really sure,” she admitted, looking back at the village next to them. In one of the upper levels, a pink feathered villager stood at the front porch of a hut, waiting as the main door was opened by another rito who swept them up into a tight embrace. The Enchanter smiled. “Perhaps I’m just curious. Everyone’s going home, tonight. Isn’t your family waiting for you?”

He snorted. “How old do you think I am?” 

Maiya coughed. “Age has nothing to do with it! I meant l...well— I'm not asking if you're married with kids or anything." She paused, realising how that came out. "Which is totally fine if you are. There's nothing wrong with that at your age. Which I don't know. It's really a personal preference kind of thing anyway and— "

“Twenty-six.” 

“Pardon?”

Revali sniffed derisively, shaking his head. "I'm twenty-six years old. I have no attachments, romantic or otherwise. I'd discovered long ago that they're mere disturbances in my journey to achieve my goals."

"That's fair." She said quickly. Unbeknownst to him, the Enchanter frowned, remembering the grandfatherly way in which Chief Kamori regarded him and the admiration in young Kaneli's eyes when he entered the room. A life alone, even in dedicating yourself to your dreams, couldn’t be an easy one. 

Look who’s talking _ ,  _ the nagging voice in her head said. 

_ Well, that’s because I didn’t have much of a choice. _ She mentally shot back.

Maiya stared at the back of Revali’s head, looking at him the same way one would assess a difficult puzzle.  _ Surely he hasn't pushed all of them away.  _

She wondered briefly what kind dream he was working towards to warrant such isolation and focus, making a move to ask him, but decided against it when a strong gust of wind blew past them. Revali gracefully caught it, sharply angling them to the side without a word. Maiya yelped, gripping onto his back to avoid slipping and plummeting to a certain death. 

The wind ruffled her hair and dislodged her bandana, the piece of cloth unknotting.

"Wait, no!" Maiya cried. Alerted by the sound of her voice, Revali glanced at her, watching as she reached out helplessly as the yellow cloth slipped through her fingers and was taken away by the breeze. To her dismay, it disappeared into the white sheet of clouds, gone from her line of sight in seconds.

Immediately, her uneven midnight hair opened and fanned around her, tangling and waving in the crisp windy air. Maiya growled, resisting the urge to grab the rito and shake him. "Shit! We really need to work on you saying something before you do something like that." 

Revali’s jade eyes rose to look at her, and Maiya steeled herself for the retort. Brushing her hair away from her eyes, she gritted her teeth. Glancing down, she was surprised to see that the rito’s beak was snapped shut. He was staring, but not in irritation, looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Maiya felt her annoyance grow. “What? Admiring your handiwork?" She hastily grabbed the flying locks, attempting to bundle them up and tuck them into the collar of her jacket. 

_ Very creative haircut indeed. You could even call the means of achieving it 'lethal'! What an ass. _

Revali blinked, seeming to snap out of whatever trance he was in. Hilariously, the feathers surrounding his neck puffed up. "It's nothing." He said, voice clipped. Immediately, he tore his eyes away from hers, turning his head back around. 

She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

The pair continued to soar above the village. After a few minutes, Maiya felt an unusual buzzing in her legs, pins and needles making her feet go numb. It was a precursor to the anxiety stemming from her prolonged lack of connection to the solid ground, and the fact that the chances of her surviving a fall right now would be rather miraculous. 

She swallowed her fear, facing forward and forcing herself not to think about it. “I know Chief Kamori wanted you to take me on a tour, but any reason why it had to be up here instead safe on the ground? ”

“If you stop catastrophizing then perhaps you’ll find out in a minute.” 

Maiya freed a hand to scratch the back of her neck, “Fine.” She conceded.  _ I need a distraction.  _ “Then actually give me a ‘tour’ of your village and tell me about the houses below us.”

Revali’s response was nothing but diplomatic. “Very well. There’s a few to get through. It would be helpful if you could be more specific.” 

“Okay, how about the one with the lanterns still burning bright. Near the bottom of the Spire. Everyone had dimmed their lights, how come they’re the exception?”

“You’re looking at either Slippery Falcon or Brazen Beak. Those two shops are one of the first to transition into their winter hours. Business lasts long after dark, and they capitalize on the tired tourists who walk in during all hours of the night searching for gear or a warm meal. The owners had been competing with each other for generations.” 

Maiya was surprised that she did not detect any hint of derision in his tone throughout the entire explanation. “Are their wares any good?”

“They are some of the hardest workers in this village. There is little else to explain.”

She nodded to herself.  _ Interesting _ . “Alright. Tell me about the one with the blue flower boxes.”

“If it has three white flags with the green cross, that’s the clinic. It’s also the home of our healer, Ahn. They can stitch anything back together, even whilst asleep— as the rumour goes.” 

Maiya thought about it for a second, trying to imagine what that would look like. “Stitch anything, huh? Including you?”

He snorted. “No comment.”

She thought of the scar on his beak. “You would think that a warrior gets hurt pretty often.”

“An obvious hazard of my occupation, but it had seldom given me any issue.” Revali said, unbothered. If he wasn’t so focused flying, he would have tossed a wing up as if to say ‘Bah! Preposterous!’ “My use of the bow and command over the sky takes precision. It’s very rare that an enemy lands a hit on me.”

Maiya chose to ignore his humble brag and changed the subject. “What’s that cave over there? The one just above the water?”

Revali huffed at her obvious diversion but chose to let it go. He looked at the direction she was pointing to, and suddenly fell quiet. Unlike his previous responses, he took a moment to mull over his reply. His next words to her were unusually tentative, short. “The blacksmith.”

“Excellent,” Maiya smiled. “You can drop me off just outside his door. I’ll find my way back up from there.” 

Another gust of wind flew past them, and Revali tilted along with it. But she was prepared this time, grabbing his shoulders until he righted them once more. “Why are you so adamant to see him?” He asked after he had steadied them. 

She rolled her eyes. “Why are you and Elder Honoka so concerned about him meeting me? I can take a grumpy rito.”  _ In fact, I’m doing that right now. _

“He won’t be as accommodating as many of the others you’ve met recently.” 

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll find a way.”

Revali turned to look at her again, green eyes sharp, assessing her. “You’re serious?” She glared back defiantly, unwilling to fold. The rito raised a yellow feathered eyebrow in her direction and clicked his tongue in disapproval. “Very well, but don’t say we didn’t tell you so.”

“Tell me what?”

He sighed. “You’ll see.”

She opened her mouth to ask what that meant, but stopped when she felt the temperature of the wind around her change. Braids waving in the air, Revali smirked at her. “You should stop gaping at me and look around you, enchanter.” 

Maiya disregarded his teasing but nonetheless acquiesced, tilting her head up. 

Eyes meeting the sky, she gasped. 

It was as if the goddess Hylia herself had taken her brush and dragged it across the sky. The world around them had exploded in colour, painting the bright expanse in reds, pinks and greys to form one of the most dazzling sunsets she had ever seen. From their place in the sky, Rito Village looked like a sparkling jewel. Encased in light, the beauty of the eventide had cast a comforting glow against many of the bell-shaped wooden structures, filling her with a nostalgia for a place that was entirely new to her. 

Emboldened by the warmth surrounding her, Maiya took a chance and gazed at the ground below. Like a mirror, the heavens were reflected off the crystalline lake surrounding Valoo’s Spire, both clouds and the village mingling with the glow of the sinking sun. 

Revali glanced at her, expression pleased at her obvious wonder. “Seeing as you’re only here for a limited time, I thought it would be a shame for you to miss this.”

"Rito Village is already quite beautiful from the ground," she heard Revali murmur, his voice reverberating into her chest. The metal beads in his feathers glinted in the orange light, "but nothing can compare to what it looks like from the sky." 

Maiya hummed in agreement. The blue rito would have seen this sunset for all his life, yet it was nice knowing he still felt awed at the phenomena. The way he spoke of his village in this light, it was like he was looking at it for the first time. The thought warmed her, making her heart beat deeply at the wistful and reverent tone of his voice. 

The sunlight glinted off his pauldrons, making her squint as it momentarily blinded her. Maiya rubbed her eyes, in that moment remembering where she was and who she was thinking about. She mentally flushed her previous thoughts away, feeling silly.  _ The high-altitude is getting to you. _

From the corner of her eye she saw some of the feathers in his wings change direction, a telltale sign that they were going to descend very soon. “Hey, hold on.” She had one more thing to bring up. “Before we head back down there to the blacksmith,” her voice darkened, taking on a cutting edge that she rarely used. “What in Din’s name was _that_ a while ago? Diving off the _ledge_? Was that really necessary _?”_

He didn’t waste a second. “The additional weight meant it was especially imperative for me to generate enough force to catch the wind and get us in the air.” As scientific as his explanation was, his voice was thick with arrogance, haughtiness back in full force. “Sustaining flight with the additional baggage is not an easy feat, mind you. It’s not my fault that a Hylian such as yourself can’t appreciate the art of my technique.” 

_ Did he just call me heavy? _

Maiya seethed. “Still, a little warning would have been great.” 

She was shocked by his speedy response. “Alright.” 

The Enchanter scoffed. “Well that was easy.”

Quickly, Revali changed the direction of his wings, the muscles below her tensing again as he angled downwards. He chuckled. “You might want to hold on tight.”

_ “What?!” _

“And that was your warning.”

Maiya screamed again, hiding her head in the crook of the rito’s neck once more. Her angry swears were only matched by Revali’s raucous laughter, echoing in her ears as they plummeted for the second time that day. 

If a person below gazed up at that moment, they would have believed a shooting star had raced across its canvas. As a streak of blue, volatile and electrifying, left a frantic trail of sapphire light in its wake, piercing through the fading light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Allin ch’isi, Amaut'a - Good evening, Teacher  
> Qoyllur-cha - Little star  
> arroz con leche - creamy rice pudding; here's a recipe if you're curious! https://spanishsabores.com/2011/12/16/antonias-arroz-con-leche-recipe/


	6. Of Monsters and Metals Part 1.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strength is not measured by your willingness to meet fear’s gaze...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait, everyone! A major thank you to all the new readers and commenters (commentators, commentingers, comments...let's stick with comments), and kudos! Every email notification has been a bright piece of sunshine on an otherwise gloomy day.
> 
> You can also find me on my writing tumblr: paellaplease. Am currently on the hunt for a couch DIY for my animal crossing island, and crying over hawks from bnha.

Revali dove, slowed, and eventually landed, talons gracefully touching down on the rocky ground below them like a falling leaf to water. 

Maiya lifted her head from his shoulder, the smell and sounds of waves crashing into stone washing over her as she opened her eyes _._ Looking around, she saw that they were standing on a long slab of rock, hovering above the tumultuous waters of Lake Totori. 

_Another departure deck_ , her mind supplied for her.

The hylian quickly clambered off the rito’s back, the freshwater spray chilling her to the bone. She realised just how much warmth Revali’s feathers had provided her, feeling the full brunt of the elements as she pulled away. Maiya shivered, regretting her earlier decision in leaving her thicker coat at the inn. 

As her feet touched the earth, her legs immediately gave way.

_“Holy— ”_

Revali caught her arm, steadying her moments before she smacked into the ground.

“Give it a moment.”

“No, it’s alright.”

Stubbornly, Maiya took another step forward. The rito warrior clicked his tongue as he caught her again. “You are unaccustomed to flight. Stand still and move your feet slowly, let the normal flow of blood return to your legs. Unless of course you’re extremely keen on acquainting yourself with the floor.” 

Embarrassment colouring her cheeks, Maiya closed her mouth and turned her head away, allowing herself to lean on him but refusing to look him in the eye. She stared forward into the distance, surveying their surroundings as she waited for the tingling feeling in her legs to disappear. As her eyes adjusted, all she could see was a looming cliff before her and a thick wall of evening fog. Night had set in around them, making visibility difficult in the dying light. 

“So...where is that cave we saw earlier?” 

Revali’s free wing pointed down to the empty space in front of them, following along the platform until the point where she guessed it would connect to the cliff a few metres away. “On the other side of this departure deck, beyond the fog.” 

The Enchanter pulled her jacket closer as another strong gust of wind blew past, mussing up her dark hair again and cooling the sweat on her brow. Small waves continued to crash against the platform, powerful enough at times she swore she could feel the ground shudder. Quietly, she marvelled at how different the scenery appeared in comparison to what she saw in the sky earlier. From afar, the cave seemed so...removed— detached in its stillness. Now up close it felt like she was in the midst of a storm. 

_What an odd place to have a smithy._ “So your forge is cut into the rock holding your village aloft in the sky?”

The rito warrior’s jade eyes were still trained at the distance in front of them as he regarded her evenly. “We are still within village grounds, enchanter.” His expression turned thoughtful. “And that is more than just a _rock_ in the middle of the lake. The cliff face you see in front of you is _Wayrakuchuyna,_ or simply Wayra. She is ancient, older than Chief Kamori and many of those before him, and is the foundation from which Valoo’s Spire was carved.” 

“Thats,” Maiya paused, mulling over her words. “That’s actually very interesting. I thought the Spire was carved by your people?”

“Carved by the wind.” The rito corrected her, the rarest hint of a smile in his voice. “Technically speaking, we are underneath the main village structure. Valoo’s Spire _is_ the epicentre of our way of life. However, Wayra had been a part of my people for as long as rito could fly.”

“As such, according to Chief’s Law, so long as we are connected to her, we are always home.” He looked up, gazing at the cliff-face for a quiet moment.

Maiya tilted her head, mimicking his stance. Due to the angle from where they stood, she found it difficult to spot the Spire amongst the rocks and fog. She only managed to catch the faint details of the bridge she’d crossed a day ago, hanging far away in the air above them, illuminated by the waning gibbous moon. 

Feeling that enough time had passed, she gave her leg an experimental shake, relieved that the pins and needles had finally subsided. “Hey...I think my legs are back to normal.”

“Continue forward if you must then. You are capable of making your own decisions.” 

“I would but,” despite her irritation at his previous comment, she allowed a laugh to slip through. She cleared her throat and pointed to her shoulder. “You can let go now.”

Feathers rising, Revali quickly withdrew his wing, stepping to the side. “Take caution where you tread,” he groused, suddenly very interested in readjusting his pauldrons. “I won’t be responsible if your clumsiness results in you cracking a few eggs.”

The Enchanter shrugged, too tired to deal with the rito’s changing moods, and started walking. 

Both hylian and rito made haste across the departure deck, the gaping maw of the forge’s main entrance slowly coming into view. The cave-like opening was tall as it was wide, and Maiya estimated it would easily fit about three of her across. Enshrouded in fog; dark and foreboding, it looked to suck all life into it until there was nothing but open emptiness.

Except it wasn’t empty. 

“Someone's there.” She murmured. 

Smoke escaped from the mysterious figure's pipe, making them appear like a shadow in the creeping darkness. They were leaning against a tall and looming object. Upon closer inspection it revealed itself to be a heavy metal door, several locks lining its side.

Their face flickered by the flame of a rusty sconce, wavering in the midst of blistering winds. They had feathers of mottled black and white, and a jet black scraggly beard which was pulled into two hanging braids. They stood as if dragged down by the weight of the world — a hunch curving their back and an elderly face dominated by two white-feathered brows pinched together in a scowl. Whilst unable to see their eyes, she still had a feeling that they were watching them closely, eyeing them like a hawk as they drew closer.

Above them, a sign swung and creaked in the whistling wind. _Jackdaw Metalworks and Weaponry_ it read, complete with a carving of two rito's and an anvil resting between them.

“Yieni,” Revali said from behind her, voice unusually careful and diplomatic. He bowed his head in acknowledgement. “ _Allin tuta_ , it has been a while.”

Maiya’s eyes widened in alarm. _Yieni? Then that means—_

The Blacksmith lifted his head, revealing a pair of fierce, cloudy eyes. He threw Revali a questioning look, before zeroing in on the Enchanter and the dagger that hung innocently at her hip. Maiya felt frozen in place, the rito’s glare piercing in its quiet fury. It was as if he was surveying a defective sword, seeking what was left of its worth. 

Revali gently nudged her with his wing, pulling her from her thoughts. "Courage now," he whispered.

Maiya grimaced, straightening her back and ignoring the rope of anxiety knotting in her chest. She cleared her throat. “Good evening, Yieni." She didn't think it was possible, but his scowl deepend. _Don't panic, just continue._ "I am Maiya from the land of Akkala and I’m hoping you can answer some questions regarding— ”

“Get out.”

She blinked. “Pardon me but wha—”

“I said get out! Leave this place." He rasped, smoke escaping his mouth. His eyes narrowed as he glared daggers at the blue rito. “What in the void possessed you to bring an Enchanter to my doorstep, Revali?” 

The warrior raised his wings up as if in surrender. “I mean no offense, Yieni.”

“Hah!” The elderly rito hunched over as a dry cough racked through him. "I cannot imagine what inane quest has sent you here but we’ve had enough trouble brought upon by your kind, _Enchanter_. Now run back to your teacher and never show your face on my property again.”

Maiya’s felt her enthusiasm drain, her gloved hand warming alongside the bubbling of her unease. "You don’t understand. So much of my people’s knowledge has been lost. I _know_ you have a level understanding of our craft. Please.” _Fucking listen!_

The rito shook his head. “I’ve been bitten more than once by feeding the rabid dog. I refuse to extend my arm out once more as it bears its teeth." 

“That makes no sense!”

"I make no deals with Enchanters,” he spat. “Make sense of that, child.” Putting his cigar out, Yieni wrenched the heavy door behind him open, stepping through. 

Maiya raced forward. “Wait, hold on!”

The door was slammed shut, cold metal inches from bruising her nose. She took a step back, bumping into the warrior behind her. 

Maiya looked at him, the locked door, and slumped. “Okay, perhaps I need to rethink my strategy here." _Or perhaps he really hates Enchanters and I'm just wasting my time._

Revali crossed his wings. “Perhaps?” he said, beak curving. “A welcome like that and you honestly still think you have a wing in the door?"

The Enchanter looked to the open lake, feeling cold droplets hit her face as the rain above began to fall. "This would have been a waste of time if I decide to give up now." She rolled her shoulders, ignoring Revali's muttered _“Evidently”_ and bunched up her sleeves. “I’m not leaving til that door opens.”

The blue rito moved to the side, gesturing her forward with an exaggerated wave of his feathers. “The floor is yours.” 

Maiya clenched her jaw and moved to knock again.

 _Knock, knock._ Her first attempt garnerd no response. 

_Knock, knock, bang!_ As did her second. 

“Stubborn old bird.” 

She felt the veins in her left hand begin to burn again, the rune no doubt responding to the shock and stress of the day’s events. Taking the glove off, she shook her hand vigorously in the air, trying to cool down the scar which had heated up considerably in the past few minutes. The edges glowed a light blue. She hissed. 

“Are you well?” Revali asked.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. _Good going, he thinks you're going to burn the place down now._ “Nothing, ignore me. Stinging as always.” 

Gritting her teeth, she raised her left hand again. She was inches away from slamming it into the door when the metal surface shuddered. 

Reflexively, Revali reached for his bow. Maiya held a hand up, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. “Wait—”

She took a cautious step back as the _clicks_ of several locks were heard, the unusual symphony joined by a cacophony of keys turning, latches being pulled, and bars sliding to the side. Smoke left hidden pockets located at the hinges, making a hissing noise as billowing clouds escaped from the cracks, dissipating into the surrounding darkness. 

A _creak_ and _screech_ echoed, the sound ricocheting off the rock and making small pebbles fall from their perches. Metal scraped against metal, joining the activity as the noise reached a crescendo, building up until suddenly— there was silence.

Maiya released the breath she was holding, clutching her gloved hand to her chest. "Did I do that?"

"No,” Revali said. He pointed to a rounded mirror-like object which hung above the burning sconce, something Maiya thought was merely for decoration. "That glass is not reflecting our images…”

At that moment, the flame went out.

“Someone’s watching us.”

And the door swung open with a _bang_. 

Lying before them was a dark corridor. It was cold and eerie, a void tunneling into the rock. Maiya was surprised to find that no one was on the other side to greet them, and wondered briefly how the door could have opened by itself. “There’s something mysterious at work here,” she whispered. 

It was completely barren except for a small hanging lantern at the furthest part of the hall. The quivering flame marked the beginning of a spiral staircase, its flickering light illuminating the start of stone steps leading down. 

The Enchanter stared into the darkness, fear of the unknown making her hesitate. As she retreated into herself, she took a step back, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger. The latent energy within it sent a small spark up her fingers, and for a moment she remembered the way it spluttered and burned within the confines of the Blacksmith’s clamp. 

Her mentor’s words reverberated in her mind. _‘Do not let fear dictate your freedom.’_

Maiya groaned, stepping foot into the dark corridor and began walking with renewed purpose. “Into the unknown, let’s go.” She grumbled. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

She was surprised to hear Revali following close behind her, the sound of talons against stone echoing throughout the passageway. Pausing abruptly, she swivelled around to face him, taken aback by how close he suddenly was. 

She backpedalled and crossed her arms, ignoring how he was only a step away. “Hold on. You’re coming with _me_?”

Revali mirrored her stance, folding his wings. He looked at her pointedly. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but there’s no stairway to the Spire from here.”

“So you’re sticking around to fly me back up, huh?”

“Precisely.”

Maiya huffed, lifting her head higher to glare at him. “Chief Kamori told you to watch me, didn’t he?”

He wasn’t even looking at her, choosing this moment to inspect the feathers on one of his wings. He flexed it in front of him as a hylian would when checking their nails. “You wound me, enchanter,” he said, voice bored. “Do you really believe I’d make you scale the cliff in the dark?”

“Oh.” She laughed humorlessly, turning around to continue her brisk walk to the end of the hall. “Absolutely.”

Maiya kept a steady palm on the smooth stone column beside her as they continued deeper into the cave. In their descent, she traced the lines of the column, feeling it grow colder the further they travelled into the cavern in almost full darkness. It was one of the few times she was grateful for the dull glow of her hand, leading the way and stopping her from taking a bone-breaking tumble to the bottom floor. _At least the stress did something good for once._

The spiral staircase seemed to wind forever, eventually unfurling and flattening, lantern light appearing in the distance as they reached the very last step. They eventually found themselves in an open room, under a high ceiling full of vents. 

The Enchanter marvelled at the flow of the air as she watched smoke leave like ribbons through hidden pockets in the room, seemingly replaced by a fresh batch almost instantaneously with the lift of a vent in the ceiling. 

It appeared that most of the heat in the room was originating from the giant metal structure sitting at its centre. Blackened and spluttering soot, its presence dominated most of the space; a metal monster with a belly reddened by flames.

_The forge’s oven._

The familiar _clang_ of hammer on iron reached her ears, followed by the hiss of steam as it was dipped in the slack tub. The hylian was immediately transported back in time, remembering the workshop in Akkala and the days she spent as a young girl observing Teacher in her workspace. 

Maiya was but a novice then, but the silver-haired woman was always in her element. She could recall watching her mentor hammer out a swordsman’s blade, forgetting her notes and daydreaming instead of the moment she would finally decipher the secrets of the anvil and impress the Sheikah Enchanter with her first proper weapon.

 _Except you failed her_ , she thought bitterly. _No matter how hard you try to make amends, your dagger has rejected its master. And in that, you have failed your purpose._

Maiya blinked back into reality, the figure she saw standing in the middle of the forge no longer her mentor. _No_ , Maiya realised. The person holding a cooling blade in the air wasn't even rito.

Seeing her step into the room, the smith rested the blade on the edges of a clay bath. As they lifted the protective mask obscuring their face, Maiya's eyes caught a teal fin peeking from behind it. _A fish?_ Her mind stuttered. 

The mask was lifted further, revealing a lean face and sharp smiling teeth. They stood with a straight back, posture impeccable as they smoothed their leather apron over. 

_A zora!_

“Good evening, Traveler,” they said, voice soft and polite as small bells. They looked at her calmly, golden eyes serene. Maiya’s eyes caught the intricate silver ornaments decorating the side of their face, hearing them clink as they removed the mask entirely. 

The zora angled their head higher, finally seeing the person behind her. “What a surprise, Master Revali.”

“Uleh.” The rito nodded curtly. 

Maiya looked between the two of them. She noticed some soot staining the Zora's arms and cheeks, painting their shining scales a smoky grey. 

Coughing into a closed fist, they cleared their throat. “Apologies for earlier. I’m not sure what’s gotten into Mister Yieni this evening. He is usually more accommodating, but I theorise that the wine might have been more potent than usual." 

"You're his assistant?" Maiya asked. 

"An Artificer." They corrected. “You could say I’m on...an extended industrial study tour.” The zora smiled to themself, enjoying their own inside joke, before bowing low. “I welcome you, Enchanter. It has been many years since someone of your vocation has stepped foot in ‘ _Jackdaw’s_. I would offer my palm for the greeting but,” they raised both their gloved hands, “I must keep these on for the time being. There is much work that needs to be done.”

Maiya blinked, still bracing herself for the anger that ultimately never materialized. “Hold on. You know I’m an Enchanter? Why then...why haven’t you yet—”

“Kicked you out as Mister Yieni had?”

“Yes.”

“I hold no quarrel against you or your people.” They said, beginning to coat the blade in clay, expertly avoiding its edges. “In fact, I want to help you.” 

The Enchanter did not immediately celebrate, silent for a moment and lost to her own thoughts. As much as she was happily surprised by this stranger’s willingness to assist her, she was once again hit by a gut-punching suspicion that had been plaguing her mind since she left the village’s library. 

She was slowly learning that there’s always some sort of catch. 

"And what exactly does this _help_ entail?" Revali asked, reading into her discomfort. 

"Simple,” Uleh said, gently painting the finishing touches of the clay coating with a brush. "I need you to extract a rare ingredient the forge has been lacking in for awhile. After you’ve done that, I can arrange a meeting.”

Maiya shifted her weight from one foot to the other, unconvinced. “How can you be sure he would want to converse with me in the first place?”

Uleh chuckled, clipping the blade into a wooden holder to dry. "Mister Yieni can be ill-tempered, prejudiced and especially cantankerous, but he will _always_ honour a good deal." The zora looked up at her, golden eyes gleaming. "Find him that ingredient, offer it in exchange for information, and he will answer whatever you ask him."

Maiya eyed the silver jewellery framing Uleh’s face, thin and long sheets twisted like intermingling spirals. Ultimately, it would be within her best interest to trust them. She’d just have to roll with the punches and accept the consequences of what was to come after that. She could compare her situation to skipping stones. Nothing left but to cast the rock and count the ripples from the sidelines. 

_Your willingness to trust will get you trouble one day, my dear._ Her mentor’s ever serious voice echoed warningly. 

The hylian rubbed her eyes, too tired to argue with herself anymore. _Grab the ingredient and strike a deal. Easy._ She thought to herself. _It's okay. It will be okay. That just leaves me with..._

Gazing up, she flashed Revali a tentative grin. The sharp lines of the rito’s face softened a fraction, then fell back into its default haughty glare as he looked away. "What is it?" He asked sourly. 

"...are you going to help me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, I'm going regardless."

Revali sent her a knowing look. "And you will probably encounter trouble along the way. 

The hylian shrugged, unbothered. "It's not a given but with the increase of monster activity out there, coupled with some Yiga sightings, I probably will—"

"Then the answer is obvious."

"You don't have to be rude about it."

"You shouldn't ask moronic questions you know the answer to."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Maiya shook her head, turning back to the zora who was still patiently waiting for her answer. She cleared her throat, trying to regain whatever professional dignity she'd shed in the past minute. “If it will grant me an audience with the Blacksmith, then I'll do it."

Uleh's face broke out into a smile. “Fantastic.”

Rising from their sitting position, the zora picked the blade up with their iron tongs, carrying it back to the oven. As they plunged it back into the red hot embers, the fire casted dancing lights and shadows against their teeth, drawing Maiya’s attention as they spoke their next words. 

“Now onto business. Have you ever heard of a Frost Talus, Enchanter?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wayrakuchuyna - wind-cut place


End file.
